The current Prius is baked from a refined recipe that results in a roomy, practical and efficient vehicle lurking under an eco-statement exterior, or at least we thought so. Five years on, it's still the most popular way to conspicuously consume under the guise of saving the planet. Toyota hasn't been resting on the success of its green badge of targeted consumerism, so we're going to see a new Prius at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in January, according to Toyota President Watanabe. The 3rd-generation Prius will grow in size, and engine displacement will be bumped to 1.8 liters to increase performance. Despite the increase in size and sprightliness, weight will reportedly hold steady. Further changes are in store after the launch, with plug-in and Li-Ion updates to come.
The nameplate will also move beyond a single model and become a sub-brand during the reign of Prius the III. More body styles are coming, and if you think the Prius is a roachy-looking thing, the concept hints Toyota has given us are possibly even weirder. The sub-1,000 pound 1/X might offer a glimpse at another type of Prius, though more realistically, the sad-eyed Hybrid X vannish concept suggests the way things are headed without the ridiculous pronunciation of its featherweight companion. If things go according to Toyota's plan for world domination, the Prius will become one of the pillars upon which the marque is built, next to the Corolla and Camry institutions.
Around 2 AM EST on Monday night, one of our readers sent us a tip about a photo making the rounds on two Taurus-specific forums. We followed both links and came across the spy shot you see above – now rumored to be the 2010 Ford Taurus. Big deal, right? It was, but not for the reasons you think. While we like spy pics as much as the next pistonhead, we have a policy against posting photos taken inside an automaker's design studio. Unlike the shots snapped by Frau Priddy and the crew at KGP, our legal department insists that anything taken on automaker property is illegal to distribute. So after the picture began circulating on several smaller sites, we held off on publishing it... until now. With sites like MotorTrend and InsideLine throwing caution to the wind, despite Ford's attempt to quell the photo's circulation, we feel compelled to bring it to you in all its grainy majesty – until FoMoCo's legal department starts pounding on our virtual door.
With that out of the way, all of us around the Autoblog offices are split about the design direction this one particular exercise (we're sure there's at least a dozen) is taking. The front end is far more dynamic than the current Taurus, with swept-back headlamps, a pointed fascia and the best application of the three-bar grille we've seen yet -- even if it does ape the last generation Lexus IS. The profile is handsome and distinctly Mondeo, a model that may, or may not, underpin the next Taurus. And if there's an SHO variant packing Ford's new turbocharged, EcoBoost V6, we're sure Mr. Neff will have his dirty little way with it when its officially uncloaked (possibly) in Detroit.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A Roadster concept.
Lexus Australia's chief executive, John Roca, gave up a number of product details to The Australian in an interview this past weekend, including the addition of an "F" variant of the GS sedan and possibly a full-size LS limo. Both models are aimed to attack luxury stalwarts Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz by offering a number of high-performance variants and also developing a new model that would slot in below the IS sedan to take on the BMW 1-series and the Audi A3. That model is still a few years away, but it will be an integral part of Lexus' commitment to reach one million global sales in the next two to three years.
The other element includes offering hybrid versions of every vehicle it sells, plus the introduction of a hybrid-only model that will be unveiled in concept form this January at the Detroit Auto Show. Toyota's luxury arm plans to release a redesigned five-seater RX next year, based off the LF-Xh concept that bowed in Tokyo, although there's no word on the rumored seven-seat variant due out before the end of the decade.
Naturally, no conversation about Lexus would be complete without some mention of a two-door, coupe/convertible version of the IS, a model that's been sorely lacking from the Lexus lineup, plus, the LF-Asupercar, which should finally come to market in 2011, but may only be available in left-hand drive.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Land Rover LRX from Geneva
We've big fans of the Land Rover LRX concept's styling, which looked as good in black (unveiled in Geneva) as it did in the original white (unveiled in Detroit). So we're suitably pleased by reports that Land Rover is preparing to build the vehicle, which could get the nameplate Freelander Sport in keeping with the nomenclature already set in place by the Range Rover Sport.
The production LRX would target the likes of the upcoming BMW X1 and Audi Q5 (and potentially the Porsche Roxster), while offering a range of eco-friendly engine options that help Land Rover reduce its overall environmental impact. Such powertrain possibilities could include a 2.2-liter diesel and 3.2-liter gasoline inline-six with the potential for start-stop technology and even a hybrid system. Although the Freelander Sport would be oriented towards on-road driving dynamics, we wouldn't expect it to compromise the brand's legendary off-road prowess as much as recent offerings from Jeep. Reports place the production LRX on the road as early as 2010, and we hope much of the show car's dramatic styling would remain in place as the Land Rover rides the rocky road from concept to production.
Autoweek and Fourtitude were able to enjoy some seat time in the Audi R8 V12 TDI LeMans concept before its official unveiling in Geneva last week. Their drive was short (about an hour with a 50 mph speed limit imposed by Audi's boffins), but their time at the airport adjacent to Sebring International Raceway has made an impression.
The crimson beast we saw in Geneva was the same concept that was displayed in Detroit, simply sporting a new paint job, but spending quality time with the R8 V12 TDI revealed a few interesting tidbits about the concept. First, the firewall behind the driver and passenger had to be extended by some six-inches to accommodate the oilburner and although claimed torque output is somewhere in the 737 lb.-ft. range, the few journos asked to take part only got to experience 442 lb.-ft. of twist – a good thing considering that the transmission mated to the engine is an A4 case with modified internals.
While the performance was impressive, the short gearing and shorter redline (not disclosed) seemed to make all that grunt superfluous in first and second, but Audi is expecting the R8 V12 TDI to return around 24 mpg and meet the 2014 Euro 6 emissions standards if, and when, it goes on sale.
While the Autoweek piece only provided the "50/50" quote in the title, the Fourtitude article is far more entertaining and informative -- well worth a read.
Last month, we brought you the words of Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe who announced that at next year's NAIAS in Detroit, his company would be unveiling a pair of dedicated hybrid models: a replacement for the lamentably iconic current Toyota Prius, and a dedicated luxury hybrid from Lexus. The latter would be the first standalone hybrid model from the luxury brand, which until now has made a name for itself producing gasoline/electric versions of its standard models.
Emerging reports now suggest that the Lexus hybrid Watanabe-san alluded to in Detroit will actually be a rebadged luxury version of the next-gen Prius, taking on a "lifestyle wagon" design based on the more basic Toyota. While the notion of a lightweight Prius being laden down with Lexus-grade luxury equipment may seem at odds, somehow we doubt the Hollywood crowd will be bothered.
At its annual dealer meeting in San Francisco, what's described as having been a "passing remark" seems to be generating some buzz. Automotive News reports that a GM spokesperson said that the Chevy Volt's underlying technology could make its way into offerings from the automaker's other brands. While the report describes an excited dealer's reaction, the idea of shared E-Flex itself is hardly surprising. For instance, we've seen E-Flex concepts for Saturn/Opel (Flextreme) and Cadillac (Provoq) already, and sharing the tech makes sense when you consider that consumer interest will probably be high whenever the Volt is ultimately produced, and spreading the wealth gives GM multiple avenues (and price points) at which it can cash in on the investment. The General already shares engines and platforms among its brands, so why not E-Flex? It seems like such a natural thing to do, maybe that's why the comment about sharing it was made in passing to begin with. The General's been telegraphing this move through the concepts it's released over the last year.
click above to view more high-res pics of the Honda Pilot Prototype
We were there when Honda trotted out its Pilot Prototype in Detroit, and our snoozy first impression is apparently what the public at large is feeling, too. Sales of the current Pilot have dropped off by nearly 25 percent, so Honda's feeling the pressure with this redesign. It doesn't bode well, then, that the Pilot's new duds leave the buying public unmoved. CNW Research polled several hundred drivers from LA, Chicago and Detroit, and many respondents found the 2009 Pilot a yawn to behold. Nothing about the newly-squared off exterior struck a chord, which is unusual for a new design. Usually, something distinctive garners attention, but the exterior design only earned a 7.5 point score on CNW's 12-point scale, off at least a point and a half from what most new vehicles do. We found the Pilot's freshening a little boring, but mainly the headlights leave us very unnerved, like trying to stare down a bird of prey.
click above for more high-res images of the Chevy Volt Concept
Wired magazine got in the queue for some face time with Bob Lutz at the Detroit Auto Show, and came back with a quote that's raised a few brows. When asked what the target market for the car would be, Lutz said "I don't know. You'd like to have it at about $30,000 for the customer, but what I'm hearing from the team is we're not going to get there.... [I]f it costs closer to 40 than 30, well, that's too bad."
The issue is the timeline. His engineering team said that if they had more time they could cost-optimize the car, but Lutz doesn't want to wait for that. As for the recent go-round about when the Volt would appear, November 2010 is such a firm deadline in his mind that when it comes to the internal team, his only question is: "What is there about November 2010 that you don't understand?"
Lutz must know how important it will be to price this car competitively. A $40,000 Volt before you start checking options boxes will do a lot to keep people looking elsewhere for green options. For Lutz, though, the Volt -- like the moon landing -- is much about prestige, saying, "If it doesn't work, it's not fatal. But if it does work, it will be sensational." It is also just as much about a return to the kind of design and technological form that the marque hasn't seen in a long time. "GM's credibility is rapidly returning and it's beginning to be reflected in the marketplace.," Lutz said, "[b]ut there is no doubt you'd like to be able to leapfrog Toyota and come out with a car they aren't ready to do. There's nothing magic about the technology. Two or three years after the Volt is introduced, everybody will have something like it. We'd just like to be first for once."
Some crowds are worried about speed, some about interior volume, some about the number of cupholders. The pickup truck crowd has a tendency to be concerned with size, so the automakers give them what they want. And in this case, it's bigger and bigger logos. Kicking Tires took the real estate measurements of the logos on half-ton pickups at the Detroit Auto Show (and a Hummer, just for good... measure), and ranked them from smallest to the most grandiose. The logo on the new Dodge Ram is 250% larger than before, and it only came in fifth. Click the link to find out who's got the biggest, and let the bragging begin.
Episode 85 of the Autoblog Podcast finds us reminiscing about the North American International Auto Show that recently invaded Detroit. It was perhaps not as thrilling as past shows, but the new F-150 and Ram hauled and herded some excitement into Cobo. Both pickups are newly spiffed and bristling with new features and engineering. While the trucks are no doubt big news, the CTS Coupe stokes our fires far more. We hope to see it visited by the V-series gnomes, too.
There were a passel of diesels at the show, too. Audi's V12 TDI R8 concept was filled with design gumdrops for us to chew on, besides the 12-pot 500-hp diesel that returns mileage in the 20s. BMW had its 335d and some X5 alphabet soup thing, and Honda showed its clean diesel. Beyond oil burners, we took an IRL look at the Hyundais Genesis and found it surprising beyond what pictures convey. The Lancer Ralliart turned out to be a charmer, while we question the very existence of VW's Passat CC, and Fisker's bestickered Karma was certainly software-worthy vaporware. Mazda had the best car in the show with its racy Furai, and the Lincoln MKT threatens Cadillac not one whit. Ford's Verve is a bright spot, though, and it can't get here fast enough. We had a lot more to say, but ran out of time to say it this time around. Watch this space for more, but for now, enjoy all 33 minutes of #85.
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We've seen the Camaro coupe and convertible concepts over the past two years at venues like the Detroit and Chicago auto shows. A stunning yellow Camaro also had the starring role on the biggest Hollywood blockbuster of 2007. We're even getting "spy shots" of the production Camaro taken by General Motors engineers that are posted on the GM Fast Lane blog. What we won't see any time soon is a production Camaro being unveiled during 2008. Kicking Tires quotes Chevy execs as saying that the company wants to avoid overexposure when production is still a year away. The General also wants to get the concept car to less prominent show sites like Houston and Cleveland, and there aren't many hand-made models to spread out across the country.
Since this is the third year in a row that at least one Camaro concept has been shown at the Detroit show, the crowd gathering around the Mustang fighter has gotten decidedly smaller. We're thinking the reason for that is because the public is now ready for the production model, but since a salable model is still a year away, the General is smart to hold off until the iconic pony car is closer to dealer lots. Besides, if we get a new picture from GM every week or two, it'll more than curb our cravings for bow-tie pony power for the time being.
BMW's twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six has been a rousing success, with nothing less than a Wards 10 Best Engines award sitting in its trophy case. The praise is understandable and well-deserved, as the engine uses a combination of forced induction and direct injection to serve up a torque curve that's far beefier and flatter than what should be expected from a engine of its size. So what next for the propeller brand? Simple -- take similar technology, add it to the company's 4.4L V8 and toss in a dash of unconventional packaging to make everything fit.
BMW put its latest jewel on display at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and we snapped some shots of it to give you an idea of why this engine is so special. We've included those photos in one of our galleries, and below the fold, we've thrown in a few observations.
It's finally (semi) official: RWD cars like a new Pontiac GTO (and Holden Monaro) and Impala are "gone for now." Bob Lutz has been making noises about it for a while, and every announcement gets more and more certain that the front wheels will be pulling more GM cars.
Just a month ago, Lutz told Forbes "That's where the internal debate [on the Impala] is now -- no firm decision at this point, but my guess is that we will come down on the side of the front-drive car." By the time of last week's Detroit Auto Show, Lutz was telling GoAuto "I think the (Monaro/Pontiac GTO) is gone for now.... [T]hat's not the end of the market where we want to stimulate demand. We have to find ways to stimulate demand and desirability in cars that will get us closer to the 35 MPG average."
How will that be done? Perhaps by using the Alpha midsize platform and making CUV's. However, the Alpha still hasn't been signed off on, and won't be until GM figures out what -- and how many -- standards it will need to adhere to when the CAFE tug-of-war ends.
Detroit may be the host of one of North America's largest auto shows, but Cobo Hall is far from the continent's best conference facility. It's dated and small, and larger venues like Chicago's McCormick place and the LA Convention Center are more modern and accommodating to automaker displays. Officials from area counties are attempting to work together to expand and modernize the aging facility with plans that include an additional 120,000 square feet of floor space and a walkway between Cobo and the Renaissance Center. Said officials are currently bickering over the total cost of the plan, which ranges between $595 million and $846 million. The financially ailing state of Michigan is willing to contribute $150 million to the cause, but county executives need to bury the hatchet and hammer out a deal that greatly improves a building that in LA or New York would likely have been bulldozed or completely overhauled long ago. If area executives need any more incentive to move on a solution, this year's show features 58 major introductions, compared to 76 just three years ago.
Michigan residents should be excited about a new plan, but we've heard about a new plan every year since before anyone can remember. As Detroit loses some of its grip on the US auto industry, however, it seems to be becoming more and more evident to politicians that hosting North America's premiere automotive showcase isn't an inalienable right. If the movers and shakers in the Detroit area can't get the job done, it could soon be curtains for Detroit's single largest annual event.
The current Prius is baked from a refined recipe that results in a roomy, practical and efficient vehicle lurking under an eco-statement exterior, or at least we thought so. Five years on, it's still the most popular way to conspicuously consume under the guise of saving the planet. Toyota hasn't been resting on the success of its green badge of targeted consumerism, so we're going to see a new Prius at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in January, according to Toyota President Watanabe. The 3rd-generation Prius will grow in size, and engine displacement will be bumped to 1.8 liters to increase performance. Despite the increase in size and sprightliness, weight will reportedly hold steady. Further changes are in store after the launch, with plug-in and Li-Ion updates to come.
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Episode 85 of the Autoblog Podcast finds us reminiscing about the 
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_thumbnail.jpg "Lamborghini Reventon unboxed in Las Vegas")
