2007 Lexus ES
[Update] Carscoop has some great new photos of the ES. To see the full cache of photos click here. Here are a few teaser shots and a little blurb about the car that is soon to debut in Chicago.
With all the excitement surrounding the recent introduction of the new LS 460, GS 450h, and IS, one could be forgiven for wondering if other Lexus models—like the ES—have been forgotten. Hardly. In fact, the ES has been completely redesigned as the 2007 ES 350.
Like other redesigned Lexus models, the new ES 350 sports what the chief engineer calls as “confident” new look, thanks in part to a wider stance and wheels repositioned closer to the vehicle’s corners. The ES 350 has a larger wheelbase and a wider track, both of which help enhance the vehicle’s handling and increases the interior space.
Designers also equipped the ES 350 with an array of new Lexus features, such as the keyless SmartAccess system with push-button ignition, the backup camera, Bluetooth® technology that gives drivers hands-free cell phone access (with compatible cell phones), and options such as swivel headlamps that turn with the road and a DVD Navigation System with the latest graphics and points of interest.
Under the hood, a larger 3.5-liter V6 engine, complete with Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i) for maximum engine efficiency, produces 275 horsepower—a 50-horsepower increase from the ES 330’s engine. The vehicle also includes a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting, which improves overall vehicle performance and fuel efficiency.
Enhanced safety features include driver and front passenger knee airbags, a direct-type tire pressure monitor, and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control. Plus, options abound--leather seats equipped with the Lexus Memory System, a glass roof, a power rear sunshade, and heated and ventilated front seats. (Most of these items will be included in a new ultra luxury package). Look for the 2007 ES 350 to arrive in dealerships this spring.
A quick note, the blurb was transcribed from an article by a forum member at Club Lexus--accuracy not guaranteed. You can check out the message thread here.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Pepsi Free Ride Promotion (4/10/2006)
This is the mother of all automotive giveaways. Between now and April 10th, Pepsi will be giving away one Prize Car and one thousand four hundred forty (1,440) Cash For Gas Prizes ($20) in each daily drawing! The Prize Car is actually one of three options: a DUB Edition 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and $6,000 in cash, or $42,000 in cash. That's a lot of opportunities to win! I'm already wired on Pepsi and it's only the first day! You can enter as many times per day as you like, but you are limited to 350 entries for the duration of the contest. Codes submitted each day are only valid for that day, so you'll probably want to space them out. You get one free code by using the Yahoo Messenger Pepsi Free Ride "IMVironment" and the rest you're going to have to buy specially-marked 20 oz. and 1-liter bottles of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist and Sierra Mist Free or under the rim of 32 oz. and 44 oz. specially-marked Promotion paper fountain cups. You can also send a self addressed, stamped envelope but that'll cost you .78 cents so just buy the soda. I think I'm going to switch to Sierra Mist before my heart explodes--I feel like Kramer when he got the "all you can drink" coffee settlement. Click here to enter.
GM QuickWin Sweeps (1/31/2006)
Wow, two sweepstakes postings today! I couldn't help myself. Today is the last day to enter the GM QuickWin sweepstakes. You could take home a Solstice, HHR, or Canyon. Click here to enter.
European Fiesta Based, Brazlian Designed, Mexican Built Ford EcoSport is Headed To USA
Talk about a world car! Ford designers in Brazil are fast at work creating a new version of the very popular, in Latin America, EcoSport. The Car Connection is reporting that the new version will be larger which will put the vehicle in the same segment as the Escape/Tribute and could theoretically replace those models. It was my understanding that any Fiesta based vehicles would be additions to the line, not replacements, so I would really question this statement. Size may be one thing, but the philosphy of the EcoSport crossover is something very different than that of the Escape. It would be my guess that this EcoSport would be a new "cute ute" entry slotting in below the Escape. I've thrown in a picture of the current EcoSport and the Ford Escape Hybrid with its new pal Kermit de Frog (look for them at the Superbowl).
Monday, January 30, 2006
Cadillac To Produce BLS Station Wagon
According to an article in Automotive News, Cadillac will produce a wagon version of the Europe only BLS. The BLS, a Saab 9-3 with a Cadillac styling cues, goes on sale in March. The BLS station wagon, based off the 9-3 SportCombi, is expected to debut no later than the Geneva auto show in March 2007. GM has said that the current BLS will never make it to the US, but the next generation of the BLS, which will have more differentiation from the 9-3, may make here. For illustration I have pictures of the Saab SportCombi and Cadillac BLS.
Oil In the Year 2006
Will 2006 be the year of sustained $3.00+/gal gasoline? Over the past year, it has become more apparent that with the world’s oil supply losing its elasticity any major event can cause prices to skyrocket. Investments in energy have on the whole performed very well lately and that has brought in a new round of capital that is driving up prices. Of course we’ve all heard the stories of economies such as China gulping oil at ever increasing rates and stretching the world’s supply. Political instability in Nigeria, Iran using oil as a bargaining chip, the war of words between Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and George Bush, and the constant threat of a terrorist attack certainly are huge factors in the current price of oil. The coldest Russian weather in about 30 years is reducing oil output and Norwegian oil and gas production may be reduced next month if a labor union and Norsk Hydro ASA fail to resolve a conflict over a tariff agreement. If any of these factors fares up, especially Iran, oil could skyrocket well past $60-$70 band that it has been trading in.
OPEC will likely decide to maintain production targets and the International Energy Agency has pledges to release of emergency stocks from its members should Iran or Nigeria’s situation deteriorate. However, I think that these factors are mere drops in the barrel. In my mind it’s only a question of when, not if, oil will rocket past the $70 per barrel mark. But will it stay there? Supplies of oil that were too expensive to tap suddenly become an option. Looking past 2006 there will be new inflows of oil being brought online and some price stability could be achieved.
What does this mean for all of us in the bleachers with gas tanks to fill? Jumping into a more fuel efficient vehicle depends on what kind of price shocks your budget can absorb, what your political consciousness will allow, and what your family situation dictates. When gas shot up to $3/gallon after Katrina the US there was some decrease in consumption. It could be extrapolated from that event that a future spike in prices would result in some conservation on the part of US motorists. It is also no secret that full sized SUV’s have started to wane. The market shift was already occurring before Katrina and a new round of crossovers from all the major manufacturers will accelerate this trend’s momentum. In 2006 the US market will also be flush with a new round of small B segment cars that will feature more agreeable mileage.
It can be easy for folks to dismiss last fall’s prices as a fluke, but a sustained spike in prices, let’s say 9-12 months, could seriously begin to alter the psyche of the American car buyer. Undoubtedly the price per gallon at our local gas station will be the ultimate arbiter of what we drive.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Audi R8
World Car Fans has a whole cache of Audi R8 spy photos for your perusal. You can check out all the full size pictures here. I've also thrown in a picture of the Le Mans concept that inspired the production R8. Look for V8 and/or V10 power. You'll also want to reserve a minimum of $100K for this beauty. With Audi's sister division, Lamborghini, pricing its "entry level" Gallardo at $145K+ Audi does have some flexibility in the pricing department. You have about a year to get your money together, but a visit to the dealer this weekend to get on the waiting list might not be a bad idea.
Bonus restaurant review:
I just came back from Restaurant 180 in Los Gatos and I have to give it an excellent rating. The lemon drops were running me $11 a piece, but were oh so tasty. I will have to see if a repeat visit produces other excellent beverages. For now, my top Bay Area restaurant bar has to be A Cote in Oakland. Moving on to the meal, both the wife and I were very pleased with our entrees of sole stuffed with crab and pork on a bed of polenta. Official review of Restaurant 180 can be found here. If you are inclined, the lounge is supposed to have "live art" on Friday and Saturday nights that includes a scantily clad woman behind glass, on the phone or maybe reading a book, sometimes with live butterflies, but never making eye contact. Needless to say, I didn't get to check that feature out.
This Is One Heck of an Effective Speed Bump
Just your average new GMC Sonoma on its side with nobody around. These pictures were posted back in December in this VWVortex thread and there is still no explanation for what happened. The running theory is that the tree was clipped by the front right just enough to flip the lil red jimmy on its side. Here is how the author explained his find:
No one was inside, there was no tow truck or cops, no curious bystanders, it was all very surreal. Wind was lightly blowing through the trees overhead, children were laughing off in the distance as they played, everything was as it should be, except for this brand new truck laying on its side in the middle of the road in my neighborhood for no apparent reason. I came back from work a few hours later nothing had changed, it was still sitting there with no one around.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Win a Chrysler 300 (various, last 6/30/2006)
Like Buick, Chrysler also has a golf related contest. Only one 300 is given way, and it isn't a 300C :-( In any case, from what I can make of the rules you just have to "register now" to enter and not actually download the 30MB golf game. Enter here. Good luck.
2007 Ford Expedition
Ford will be bringing out a refreshed 2007 Expedition this fall to compete with the all new GM SUVs. The lineup will include an extended-length version, called the Expedition EL. As you can see there is a new grille that picks up on the latest Ford design. Ford says the new Expedition's frame is stiffer and the independent rear suspension is recalibrated for a smoother ride. Under the hood is a 5.4-liter V-8 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Stability control is standard.
Fiat Barchetta Spotting
As I was walking through a parking lot, I happened to notice a yellow convertible. Upon closer inspection the car turned out to be a Fiat Barchetta with California plates. I'm not sure how the owner got the car over here. Perhaps they went through the entire process of bringing it up to code or used some other method to get the plates.
Back in 1995 Road & Track had this to say about the car:
This is frustrating. The U.S. is the largest sports-car market in the world. We have the best roadster weather on earth. And yet both Fiat's and MG's new sports cars have no designs on America. Are we wrong or is this shortsighted?
Although Fiat's 1200 and 124 Spiders didn't have the same panache (or factory support) in America as MGs, Triumphs, Austin-Healeys and Alfa Romeos, they brought a great deal of fun to several generations of U.S. sports-car owners. And the Italian company's latest—the Barchetta—admirably continues that theme.
Car and Driver added these comments:
The door handles, of all things, set the mood. They are, like the Barchetta itself, cheeky, daring, retro, and contemporary at the same time. And gloriously tactile.
There's a small button at the leading edge of the horizontal slot that's embedded in each door. Push it with your thumb and a lever swings out. Your fingers clasp the thin cast-aluminum lever from behind and pull open the door. Once mastered, the action becomes an elegant, simple movement that immediately defines Fiat's new sports car as different.
Different even from Mazda's Miata. That low-cost roadster has proved an embarrassment to Europe's carmakers, simply because it took them six years to respond and reclaim the territory that was once the sole domain of Fiats, MGs, and Triumphs.
In any case, it's fun to see these rare cars on our shores. Of course, the reverse is true for car fans over in Europe. My cousin almost drove off the road gawking at a Dodge Ram pickup that was taking up 1 1/2 lanes of traffic. For more info on the car, check out this site.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Autoexpress Takes a Spin In an Eos
Quickly skimming through the article, I was heartened to read that Wolfgang Bernhard won't release the Eos until it is totally right, "Even if only one in 10 is having problems, then I will not give my approval." This is good news, because many Volkswagen owners probably feel like they were the one in ten. I kid. I kid. Well, not so much.
This is a big buzz builder for the company and they've got to get it right. Granted, they are going to miss a lot of the summer driving season, but that pales in comparison to a flubbed launch. The Eos has moxie. I really like the sliding, transparent section of the roof. What a concept for a hard top convertible!
Not a whole lot of driving impressions in the article, but it will give us something to think about while we wait. Click here to read the article.
GTI's Have Hit the Lots!
More than likely most of these puppies will be "display only" until they get in a few, but finally America gets the new model! Photos are courtesy of this vwvortex forum. It looks like this model is $25k with $2,445 in options. I'm really happy that the retro seats made it here. Personally, I would wait for the 5 door model. I happen to think it looks better and my coworkers are real complainers when it comes to wedging into the back of cars with no rear doors. What really gives me pause, of course, is VW's current state of affairs. I've discussed it before and in a recent Autoweek test of a new Passat the car flat out died in traffic. Scary. Having said all that, I'm still looking forward to driving this car. No matter what, I like Volkswagens. I really do.
Win a Buick Lucerne (various, final 8/20/2006)
Buick was really pumping a secret promotion for the Lucerne last year. All they would say is that it involved Tiger Woods. Well, the Tiger is out of the bag and the promotion is called "Tiger Wins You Could Win." Giving away "up to" 15 Lucerne's is commendable, but I don't know how much of a boost this will give the car. I presume that contest entrants will be reviewed and the most promising will be sent a test drive certificate or some such ditty.
So, the contest...what's the bottom line? Up to 15 Lucerne's will be given away. If "Tiger Woods participates and is declared the winner in a PGA Tournament" then a winner will be chosen and they get Tiger's tour car "WITH ALL FAULTS, and no customization or substitution of options" and a trip to a Buick sponsored event. Tiger doesn't win? You just get the trip. Click here to enter. You have to enter 15 different times to be eligible for all 15 drawings. Below are the deadlines for the various tournaments (the dates you must enter by for each drawing):
#1 -- 6:00 PM ET January 29, 2006; #2 -- 6:00 PM ET February 19, 2006; #3 -- 6:00 PM ET February 26, 2006; #4 -- 6:00 PM ET March 5, 2006; #5 -- 6:00 PM ET March 19, 2006; #6 -- 6:00 PM ET March 26, 2006; #7 -- 6:00 PM ET April 9, 2006; #8 -- 6:00 PM ET May 7, 2006; #9 -- 6:00 PM ET May 14, 2006; #10 -- 6:00 PM ET June 4, 2006; #11 -- 6:00 PM ET June 18, 2006; #12 -- 6:00 PM ET July 9, 2006; #13 -- 6:00 PM ET July 23, 2006; #14 -- 6:00 PM ET Aug 6, 2006; #15 -- 6:00 PM ET August 20, 2006 [acattcarsweeps]
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
BMW X3 Refresh
Detroit News has a short blurb on the X3 refresh. Enhancements include new front and rear styling and a substantially upgraded interior. No mention is made of improving the X3's ride quality. The spiffed up X3 should debut at this year's Paris auto show. Detnews article is located here.
Kuwait Says To DaimlerChrysler: Sell smart
Everybody has got an opinion about smart these days and since Kuwait owns 7.2 percent of DC it probably felt obligated to say something: ``I don't think they have been successful in reforming the Smart operation so the only solution is to get rid of Smart,'' Bader Mohammad Al-Saad, managing director of the Kuwait Investment Authority.
With everyone is ganging up on the cheeky little brand it must be driving smart staffers nuts. ``Everything has been said,'' sniped Thomas Froehlich, a spokesman, when asked what the company's reaction to its largest shareholder favoring a sale of smart.
Dieter Zetsche has repeatedly stated that smart has until 2007 to turn things around. However with the ever increasing crescendo of "sell smart, sell smart" it must be getting pretty hot in the kitchen. Of course, any potential buyer of smart has to view smart's French assembly plant as a huge liability. The plant could almost be considered a "poison pill" that is preventing the manufacturer's sale.
As a reminder, I'm still predicting that DC will give smart a go in the USA. I would expect an announcement by no later than April and cars heading to our shores no earlier than Fall of 2007.
Bloomberg article is located here.
Skoda Roomster
Here are a couple shots of the Roomster which will debut at the Geneva auto show. The bottom two pics are the concept and the top two pics are the reality. The glass cuts looks far spiffier on the concept, but to make up for that the production Roomster seems to have wisely been upgraded with rear doors on both sides--however, they appear to be conventional doors, not sliders. A few more pics are located here.
Win Free Gas For a Year (2/15/2006)
It's a double scoop of sweepstakes today! The "free gas" is actually $2,400 or if you live month to month $200/mo. Why is TV Guide giving away gas money? I don't really know. Has its new format been that badly received? Wouldn't gas money get people away from their TV sets? I should just keep quiet and put the gift horse in the stable. Click here to enter.
Win a Mazda RX8 (1/31/2006)
Pepsi has a chance to win a Mazda RX8 that has been "maxed out." You might have to max out your credit card getting all those decals removed, but hey it's still a nice prize. Click here to enter. [acattcarsweeps]
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Renault For Sale
This car has seen better days, but as it slowly slips off this mortal coil it provides a few last laughs. The auction is located here. Read the Q&A section for a few chuckles. I've copied some excerpts below:
Q:I will give you 250 quid for the car if you throw in technics decks and inkjet printer aswell.
20-Jan-06
A:Eh? What the hell do you plan to do, set up a really unreliable mobile disco with home printed business cards?
Q: Just so that I don't overbid, could you hazard a guess as to the value of the fuel that comes with the car, Thanks
20-Jan-06
A: I can tell you for definate: £0.00
Q: Notice you live on a hill, couldn't you just let the handbrake off and let gravity get rid of the car for you? Ultimately it should make it to the Thames! Good luck selling it
20-Jan-06
A: You must be scientist or something. thanks...
Futurliner: The Race is On
As the 4 million dollar Futurliner (The name "FUTURLINER" was spelled without the "E" in FUTURE so GM could trademark the name.) heads home from the Barrett-Jackson auction under its own power, I'm sure the race is on for an unrestored Futurliner located in Maine and reputed to be for sale. There were a total of 12 Futurliners built between 1939-1940 and the whereabouts of nine of them are known. One of the buses became a motor home, another is already in a museum and one became an exotic dancer named Asia. I have several sources for your reading pleasure. The first site is for the Futurliner that was sold at B-J (number 11) and the second site is dedicated to Futurliner number 10 but has a great history of the Futurliner including a "Where are They Now" section that is more comprehensive (and accurate) than mine :-)
VW Carjacked, Chased by Police and Then Chased by Own Tire
...and the chase ended shortly after the tire rolled away.
From this CBS2 story:
The midday pursuit began after the man allegedly stole the silver Volkswagen Golf at knifepoint and began fleeing to the south in the car, according to the California Highway Patrol. Sheriff's deputies made an attempt to stop the driver, who was considered armed and dangerous, at La Paz Road and Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo at 12:11 p.m., said CHP Officer Katrina Lundgren of the Orange County office. The driver took off and the pursuit was on. Sixteen minutes later, the CHP took over the chase.The suspect entered San Diego County about 12:45 p.m. and continued on Interstate 5 through Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Carmel Valley. He then merged onto I-805 and traversed Sorrento Valley, University City and Clairemont as several CHP cruisers tailed him. The driver managed to steer clear of several tire-flattening spike strips, but apparently ran over at least one while fleeing through northern San Diego. As the chase neared Mission Valley, the right front tire of the silver sedan rolled off the wheel, and smoke soon began pouring out from underneath the car .
Needless to say, the driver was soon cuffed and stuffed.
Jeep Wrangler Four Door Spy Pics
Autoweek has a six photo spread of the new Jeep Wrangler four door model. The cladding will come off in April when the model will show off her doors at the New York auto show. Check out the peep show, no quarters required, by clicking here.