Jeep’s in Serious Trouble by The CarGurus Blog

Jeep’s in Serious Trouble

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For those who believe the Jeep twins Patriot and Compass were as lowly as a vehicle wearing the seven-slot grille could get, get ready for this:

The blokes over at Autocarsay Fiat is preparing to use the same platform used on the Alfa RomeoMilano (concept version pictured above) in an upcoming Jeep model. Doesthat sound to you a little like a Sports Illustrated swimsuit modelcrashing the party at a redneck wedding? Yeah, me, too.

Autocar says the platform is flexible enough to be used in twolengths and take a four-wheel-drive system, which can be adapted foruse in a low-end Jeep. Just what the world needs, huh, another low-endJeep!

Fiat Panda

What I’m having a hard time understanding is how (and why) anup-market Alfa Romeo platform would be used on a low-end Jeep. I thinkJeep fans in this country have a lot to be worried about, as Fiat couldwater down the brand even more than Chrysler did. Want further proof?There may also be plans to bring the Fiat Panda to the States as a Jeep.

Now, the Panda is a perfectly fine urban commuter car, and evenoutfitted with four-wheel drive, it gets great fuel mileage. But it’snot a Jeep. In fact, a Panda would make the Patriot look like theall-time king of off-roading.

Don’t get me wrong here – I’m all for Fiat trying to save Chryslerby delivering European automobiles with the Pentastar’s badge on them.Jeep doesn’t fit into the equation, though. I’d much rather see Jeepspecialize in what it does best, off-road adventure, than become abrand that keeps trying to be everything to everyone.

I think Fiat could ruin the Jeep brand by releasing more low-end,small models. Sales might increase, but the brand willbecome indistinguishable from any others.

More Fantasy: the New 911 Turbo

This is my dream car.

More Fantasy: the New 911 Turbo

via The CarGurus Blog by jgoods on 12/11/09

Despite the presence of the godawful Aston Martin Lagonda, I respect tgriffith's wish list, which for the most part shows some hopeful vehicles—hopeful in the sense that buyers can welcome them. (Well, I don't know about that Hyundai Veloster concept, which looks like a Japanese blob-car. Why would a Korean company want to do that?)
Anyhow, my wish list consists of one car, the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo, which seems to be another triumph for the Stuttgarters, at least so far as the reviews go. This is a car, however, that many will welcome but few will own. Available in January, if you can find one, it will set you back anywhere from $132,000-$143,000, according to Inside Line, which has a thorough test drive.

Most reviewers make the point that the car, in typical Porsche fashion, is evolutionary—keeping the best while adding the new. The best of the new is its 3.8-liter, 500-hp twin-turbo boxer engine, which features movable turbo vanes (VTG), direct injection, variable valve timing, and 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds. The new PDK transmission system allows you to

manage ultra-fast and hardly discernible gearshifts in either automatic or manual mode. With the optional two-paddle PDK-equipped steering wheel, you can use the wheel-mounted paddles to shift in manual mode.

And on and on. The car is simply state-of-the-art, an art which Porsche has been practicing since it produced the first 911 Turbo in 1974. This is now the seventh generation of an "original everyday supercar."

Which Is Worse? Drunk Driving or Cell-Phoning?

This is a great article to read.

Which Is Worse? Drunk Driving or Cell-Phoning?

via The CarGurus Blog by jgoods on 7/21/09

Both are equally likely to cause an accident, according to research the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) squelched. Today the full body of research on driver distractions is being made public for the first time since the studies began in 2003. The New York Times broke the story on its front page this morning.

It seems that certain unnamed members of Congress, including members of the House Appropriations Committee, pressured NHTSA officials into withholding their research, even though it found that cell phone use (even the hands-free kind) and texting were deadly. The researchers "estimated that cellphone use by drivers caused around 955 fatalities and 240,000 accidents over all in 2002." Hands-free headsets didn't eliminate the risk, since the conversation itself caused distraction.

Another study

found that drivers using a hand-held device were at 1.3 times greater risk of a crash or near crash, and at three times the risk when dialing compared with other drivers.

Texting? Forget it. You might as well be driving from the passenger seat.

Whether pressure came from the cell phone industry or not is unknown, but Congress has once again worked to promote a special interest at the expense of the general good. And those in the Bush administration, including Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, should be held accountable. This time, these guys actually have blood on their hands.

It will take a massive campaign to get people to stop phoning while driving. Is that possible? Is it desirable?

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No recession for Audi

via The CarGurus Blog by tgriffith on 3/11/09

Even in this economy, it IS possible to make money in the automotive market. Turns out all you need is a great product, worldwide growth and a solid business plan.

For most of the last year we've heard nothing but reports of declining sales and billions of dollars in losses. Just check out these final tallies for 2008:

Toyota's 2008 loss: $4 billion
Chrysler's 2008 loss: $8 billion
Ford's 2008 loss: $14 billion
GM's 2008 loss: $31 billion
Audi's 2008 profit: $3 billion

Wait, what was that last one? Audi made a PROFIT? Let me check my sources to make sure that's not an error… Yup it's true!

Not only did they make money in 2008, but Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said:

2008 was the most successful fiscal year in the history of our company.

That's incredible. What's even more remarkable is that they did it by selling luxury vehicles and offering less sales incentives than other premium carmakers; all while increasing their sales in China, Eastern Europe, Germany and the U.S.

Pretty dang impressive!

Audi is staying optimistic about keeping their momentum going as the hot new 2009 A4 and 2009 Q5 hit showroom floors, followed in 2010 by the smaller A1. Those models should keep their streak of 13 straight years of sales increases going strong.

Audi is a company that has come a long way since the days of the Audi 80, and seems to be the car company to watch. Of course, being owned by Porsche and Volkswagen (who have world domination plans of their own) isn't going to hold them back any.

Have you ever owned an Audi? What do you think of the brand today?

-tgriffith