2009 Audi TTS

Audi enthusiasts know that "S" is a powerful letter in the automaker's lineup, and it's just as significant in the new TTS. An offshoot of the TT coupe and roadster, the TTS has a host of performance enhancements, like a great turbocharged engine and a special suspension setup, but U.S.-bound versions are missing the one feature they need most: a true manual transmission.
Efficient, Strong Turbo Four-Cylinder
Audi's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that's found in the TT is one of my favorite engines because it offers a lot of power in a small package. It's also incredibly smooth-revving, encouraging you to run it all the way up to its redline. The TTS' turbo four-cylinder has the same displacement, but it features numerous changes that affect the engine block, cylinder head, pistons and turbocharger, among other components.

The result is stronger output — 265 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 258 pounds-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm — without any loss of the smoothness that makes the TT's base turbo engine so appealing. The TTS' engine still feels strong at highway speeds, where it's able to propel the coupe forward with a degree of assertiveness that you might not expect from a four-cylinder, even a turbocharged one (Audi cites a zero-to-60-mph acceleration time of 4.9 seconds for the coupe). Despite its quickness and power, the TTS achieves impressive gas mileage for a sports car, with an EPA-estimated 21/29 mpg city/highway.

The TTS is offered only with Audi's S tronic six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in the U.S. (a six-speed manual is available in other markets). There's no question it's a technically advanced transmission, and it does have some appealing qualities, but there are times when you want the simplicity of a plain-old manual gearbox, and this is one of them.

First, let's hit what's good about the dual-clutch automatic. Put it in Drive and it'll knock off quick upshifts on hard acceleration, and it also makes quick downshifts when you use the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, or the console gear selector's manual mode. Oddly, driver-initiated upshifts feel much slower than when the car makes them for you.

If your daily drive involves a lot of stop-and-go tedium, I could see this transmission being preferable to a stick. Audi, however, makes the choice for you by not offering a manual in the States, which is something some enthusiasts won't accept. You're left to dream about what might have been.

Now for the automatic's low points: The first one is that when it's left in Drive the transmission tends to rob the engine of power by upshifting through the gears to keep the four-cylinder's rpm as low as possible. The transmission's Sport mode does a better job of keeping the engine in its power band by letting it rev, but this setting includes an aggressive downshifting program when slowing that keeps engine rpm high. That might get old in everyday driving.

2009 BMW 6-Series Review

The four versions that comprise BMW’s 6-Series include 650i coupe and convertible, and the V-10-powered M6 coupe and convertible. All models share a common profile, a 2+2 seating arrangement, and truly impressive performance, along with hefty 4,000-pound curb weights and a heavy feel at the controls.

Last year BMW reshaped the 6-Series' front and rear ends and decklid but it still looks thick and squat, especially from the back. ForbesAutos considers it a “sleek design,” and Car and Driver calls its “unique looks” a “high.” Cars.com says “the humplike trunk, probably my least favorite attribute, blends in from most viewing angles.” Edmunds refers to its “controversial styling” and defers on insults: “let's just say the 2009 BMW 6-Series has a great personality.”

There are additional style features, such as "taillights and front turn signals lit with LEDs, a third taillight integrated into the spoiler on the trunk hatch, and lengthier reverse lamps and reflectors," says ForbesAutos. Car and Driver points out the "vertical face of the trunklid grows more concave" as it curves up "to meet the trailing edge of the plateau." Road & Track notes the "unique profile" of the BMW 6-Series "remains essentially unchanged."

Cars.com says, “Side sills are aerodynamically contoured. Forged aluminum 19-inch wheels were developed specifically for the M6, and an 'M' logo is present in the ornamental side slats.” The M6 edition gets a carbon-fiber roof in coupe trim. “Changes to the basic 6 Series design include a modified front air dam with large secondary intake openings that provide additional engine-cooling air.”

The interior of the BMW 6-Series is more along the lines of what you’d expect from BMW. The 6-Series' "leather-wrapped dashboard comes across as a simplistic and elegant design festooned with add-on pods for iDrive," says J.D. Power. Cabins within the 2009 BMW 6-Series models possess an "elegance" that matches the "lofty pricing," says ConsumerGuide. Edmunds agrees, deeming the interior "elegantly crafted," though the cockpit has an "austere feel." Car and Driver calls minor tweaks to the BMW 6-Series "barely worth noting." Stereo controls are "minimalist" in this 2009 BMW, though, and without preset radio buttons, drivers are forced to contend with the iDrive, warns MyRide.com.

2011 Chevrolet Volt Bottom Line

GM confirmed the production version of the Chevrolet Volt, announcing that the new plug-in hybrid vehicle would feature 40 miles of electric driving range and extended-range capability for "hundreds of additional miles."

GM calls the Volt an E-REV, for extended-range electric vehicle. The first 40 miles of range are powered by a 16-kwh lithium-ion battery; the battery can be recharged by the Volt's gasoline engine, which also runs on ethanol.This eliminates "range anxiety," which GM says comes from the fear of a depleted battery.

GM admits the Volt has evolved from the evocative concept shown at the 2007 Detroit auto show, but it says many cues have come over from the striking concept version. The closed front grille is one hallmark that's carried over visibly into the production version, while the tapered corners up front and clean lines at the back (including a small spoiler) are styled to manage the Volt's aerodynamics.

For recharging at the wall, the Volt can be recharged in a standard 120-volt household outlet in about eight hours; on a 240-volt line, the Volt can be recharged in three hours. GM estimates a recharge will cost less than a cup of coffee. Some 220 lithium-ion battery cells produce the equivalent of 150 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is 100 mph, but don't expect dramatically quick acceleration figures.

The Volt's cockpit is identical to the grainy spy photos shown a few weeks ago here. The center stack is cloaked in Apple-white plastic, with a flip-up touch-screen display. GM says the four-passenger Volt is available with a range of interior colors and lighting options. The cabin also sports an integrated shifter, two info displays and a touchscreen for the infotainment system in the gas-electric hybrid.Bluetooth and USB connectivity are standard, while a hard-drive navigation system is an option.

GM wants to build the Volt in its Hamtramck facility that also makes Cadillacs, but hasn't locked down the incentives it wants to produce the vehicle. Production begins in late 2010.

PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS: 2011 CHEVROLET VOLT

General

Vehicle type:

5-door, front-wheel-drive sedan

Category:

Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV)

E-REV competitors:

none

Chassis:

independent McPherson struts front, compound crank twist axle rear, four-wheel disc brakes, full regenerative brakes to maximize energy capture, electric power-assist steering

Seating capacity:

four

Manufacturing location:

Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly (subject to GM successfully negotiating satisfactory government incentives)

Performance

Top speed (mph):

100

EV range, city (miles):

40 (based on EPA city cycle)

Dimensions

Wheelbase (in / mm):

105.7 / 2685

Length (in / mm):

177 / 4404

Width (in / mm):

70.8 / 1798

Height (in / mm):

56.3 / 1430

Cargo volume (cu ft / L):

10.6 / 301

Battery system

Type:

lithium-ion

2012 Tesla Model S Bottom Lin

The Model S is a four-door sedan that the California electric carmaker Tesla plans to build beginning in 2011, presumably as a 2012 model, and says that it will be the "first mass-produced electric vehicle."

Chief designer Franz Holzhausen terms his design “classic modernity” and we agree: this sedan gives up nothing in style to the most elegant luxury sedans with which it competes. Combining the elegance of a Maserati Quattroporte’s front end with wheels pushed to the corners and the muscular fastback of the Jag XF, this is finally an electric vehicle that doesn’t shout with a droll, utilitarian voice. The roof is comprised of two large sunroofs back to back, made almost entirely of smoke-tinted glass.

The interior looks to be an elegant, airy affair with high-quality leather and soft-touch surfaces, again matching the best luxury competition. Alas, the company went high-tech for the instrumentation that’s entirely digital. The analog facsimile gauges are bright and clear, everything is well laid out and visible, but without the tactile response of real switches and knobs the center stack will require the driver to look away from the road for all control inputs. A comprehensive voice recognition system will hopefully allay these concerns. A fascinating touch is electronics that communicate in real time with remote mechanics who will be able to diagnose and even repair some problems from afar.

Tesla bills the Model S as a seven-passenger vehicle. We contest the seven-passenger claim—the rearmost occupants would be toddlers at best. Suggesting the Model S will replace SUVs and crossovers is also a stretch. But the hatchback convenience and large size mean lots of comfort and significant cargo capacity for small to medium families, with massively lower operating costs than equivalent-sized gasoline vehicles.

The Model S reaches 60 mph in approximately 5.6 seconds, and the low-end response from the electric motors should feel big-block V-8 strong. The rear-mounted powertrain is eerily silent, and should add to the vehicle’s stealth and luxury. A one-speed drivetrain seems odd, but adds lightness, reduces complexity and still manages a 130-mph top speed. Also keeping weight under control is a mostly aluminum construction for both chassis and body panels. The sedan boasts a 45/55-percent front/rear weight distribution and tips the scales at just over 4,000 pounds, respectable given its size, technology, and performance. A drivetrain and battery pack mounted low in the vehicle yield a low center of gravity for tenacious handling.

With the top-option battery pack, Tesla Motors promises a 300-mile range. The standard battery pack gives just 160 miles of driving, the second-tier pack 230 miles. The company plans to rent the 300-mile pack to those who only occasionally use their vehicles for longer journeys; alternately, owners can later purchase upgraded battery packs if their driving needs change.

To fast-charge a Tesla Model S, buyers can purchase extra equipment from the dealer and enjoy just 45 minutes from empty to fully charged. Standard charge time from a household 220V (i.e., clothes dryer) outlet is a little under four hours. The company claims that the cost and environmental impact of charging is hugely below that of one tank of gasoline.

Promised is a three- or four-year total-vehicle warranty, bumper-to-bumper. Battery pack life is stated as seven to ten years, but no cost has been cited.

Estimated price: $49,900 after a $7,500 Federal tax credit. But CEO Elon Musk stresses that operating costs—especially for those who lease a Model S—make the actual cost of this vehicle no more than that of a $35,000 2010 Ford Taurus. That comparison is based on $4/gallon gas.

There is no safety data on the Tesla Model S as of this writing, as it’s built on a completely new platform. One concern we have is the optional rear-facing child seats; being so close to the rear bumper and roofline, we’ll be curious to see how they address occupant protection in that rather exposed location.

Hyundai Genesis -- the Korean luxo car

The interesting thing about Hyundai is that it seems to be the company that loves the word "incremental." It's how they operate, how they design cars. They bring out new models incrementally -- changes in their model lineup are not dramatic.

For a while now (to be charitable, we'll forget their early effort, the Excel), Hyundai has been making cars that essentially try to out-do the Japanese, or at least copy the Japanese.

By trying to outdo the Japanese cars, Hyundai is faithfully replicating them, in a way, and it's doing so in incremental fashion -- start off with small, inexpensive models, then start building slightly larger ones.

The problem is that there was no pizazz, no bling. (And there probably won't ever be any true Hyundai bling -- you think they'll come up with an Audi R8 replica?).

Yet Hyundai started getting noticed in the past few years -- look at the model change in the Sonata series (Hyundai's Accord/Camry). Starting with the 2006 Sonata, they went from stodgy to fairly svelte.

Then, incrementally, they brought out the Azera, a more upscale car, with a 3.8-liter V6 as the top engine. It was pretty snazzy. (I was going to say, "for a Hyundai," but actually it stood on its own as a pretty nice car.)

Now they've brought the increment game up to the entry-level luxury field, with the new Genesis. Finally, there's a Hyundai that stops people on the sidewalk, makes them look around.

The Genesis is Hyundai's answer to, in no particular order, the Infiniti G35 crowd, Toyota's Avalon, stripper versions of BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz. At least, that's the perception.

The car comes with two different power trains: a 3.8-liter V6 with 290 horsepower; and a 4.6-liter V8 pumping out 375 horses (or 368 if you use regular gas instead of premium.) Frankly, with only a very small difference in fuel mileage figures between the two, I'd take the V8. (I drove the V8 briefly last summer, before it was on showroom floors, and there's a big difference in the power. The question will be whether you want to spend $5,000 more to have the bigger engine.)

Opel/Vauxhall Astra

These are the first images of the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra, which will debut as a five-door hatchback at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. Created at GM's European design studio, the sixth generation Astra's cab-forward silhouette, steeply-raked windscreen and sloping rear roofline are design elements found in the Insignia. At 4400mm, the new car is 110mm longer than the model it replaces and has a 71mm longer wheelbase. It also has wider tracks front and rear.

"We're continuing with the same premium design cues as the Insignia, inside and out of the car," said Mark Adams, Vice President of GM Europe Design. "However, the main design themes, like the wing-shaped light signatures and the blade, needed an individual execution to avoid 'cloning' the model ranges. This is why, for instance, you see twin wings in the rear lights and a reversed blade on its flanks."

Opel has not released images of the new Astra's interior, but the automaker promises similar strides in quality to those found in the Insignia combined with improvements in packaging, seat design and in-cabin storage. The Insignia's unique wraparound IP is also said to be reinterpreted in the Astra.