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This year’s Mondial de
l’Automobile features an unusually high percentage of ultra-luxury
introductions, ranging from the Bentley Continental GT to the Ferrari Enzo.
TCC’s data suggests that if all the products hitting the street at $150,000 or
more achieve their sales targets, they would reach annual volumes of at least
18,000 units annually, and perhaps more than 20,000. That may not sound like
much in an industry selling 70 million or more vehicles a year. But the
ultra-luxury segment accounted for only about 7000 vehicles in 2001. Some
skeptics think there could be big trouble ahead, especially if the U.S. economy
continues to slip. The States are, after all, the world’s largest luxury market.
But vehicles like the Bentley and DaimlerChrysler’s new Maybach have “nothing to
do with the car business,” countered Bernd Pischetsrieder, CEO of Volkswagen AG,
which owns ultra-lux brands Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. “If you have
enough temptation,” he says, in the form of new products, “there is an endless
number of customers who will queue up.” That position is echoed by Merrill Lynch
auto analyst John Casesa, who notes “over the last 15 years, a lot of people
have become millionaires,” and want something distinctive from more
run-of-the-mill, mass produced luxury cars. —TCC Team
Carmakers in a Horsepower War by TCC Team
(5/13/2002)
2003 Ford Sportka
“We’re still a six out of 10 in terms
of product execution,” Ford of Europe Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David
W. Thursfield told TheCarConnection during the roll-out of the automaker’s
latest European products on Thursday. “We’ve got a long way to go, but a lot of
things are coming. TCC has already shown the new Ford Streetka; Thursday
morning’s unveiling revealed two additional vehicles, a three-door version of
the Fiesta minicar, and the Sportka, a peppy version of the Ford’s little Ka
microcar. It features a 1.6-liter, 95-horsepower engine. The automaker is coming
close to completing a promise to roll out 45 new products over five years as
part of its product-led European revival program. —TCC Team
Streetka: Paris Auto Show, Part I by TCC Team (9/26/2002)
2003 Ford Fiesta
2003 Ferrari Enzo
Auto executives like to say
they always like to produce one car short of demand. But what do you do when you
receive a steady flow of complaints that you’ve more seriously shorted the
potential market for your $700,000 sports car? In the case of the new Enzo,
Ferrari’s fastest and most powerful road car ever, you crank up production from
349 to 399. But the Italian marque won’t have to worry about vehicles gathering
dust at the dealer showroom. “We have already sold out all the cars,” announced
Luca de Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari-Maserati. “So on the day of the (public
introduction), this car is no longer available.” Named for Ferrari’s legendary
founder, the Enzo will churn out 650 horsepower, hit a top speed of 217 mph, and
launch from a dead stop to 60 in 3.6 seconds. —TCC Team
2004 Bentley Continental GT
Bentley finally pulled
the covers off its long-awaited new sports coupe, branding the $150,000 vehicle
the Continental GT. The name—and the new car’s styling—are meant to evoke
memories of one of the most widely renowned Bentleys ever built, the 1952
Continental R. Expected to boast more than 500 horsepower when it reaches dealer
showrooms next year, the Conti GT will have a lot riding on it. On January 1,
Bentley officially splits off from its partner of 71 years; to be owned by BMW
then, Rolls-Royce moves to a new plant near Southampton, while Bentley stays in
the small British town of Crewe. Its new German parent, Volkswagen AG, has
invested about $750 million in Bentley, according to the luxury marque’s CEO,
Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, who previously served as chairman of VW’s Audi brand.
About a third to one half less expensive than Bentley’s existing models, Paefgen
nonetheless believes the buyers of the Continental will be “more demanding and
discerning than we have seen before.” So the new sports coupe will require a
higher level of technology, refinement and performance than older-style
Bentleys. —TCC Team
2004 Jaguar XJ Paris auto show
Jaguar staged a blinding
debut of its new XJ on Thursday, rolling out a mirrored silver sedan designed to
quite literally highlight the fact that the seventh-generation flagship is made
of lightweight aluminum. In a slap at the much-maligned BMW 7-Series, Jaguar
Managing Director Mike Beasley declared his company’s goal with the XJ is to
“embrace relevant, state-of-the-art technology that helps, rather than baffles,
the driver.” The lightest version of the new four-door is 440 pounds lighter
than the last-generation XJ, meaning more performance from conventional engines.
And that will allow Jaguar to bring back the old XJ6 nameplate, using a new,
3.5-liter V-6. Unlike the Audi A8, which is built around a complex spaceframe,
the new Jaguar uses a relatively conventional monococque chassis and body,
though instead of welding, most joints are riveted or glued together. —TCC Team
Preview: 2004
Jaguar XJ by TCC Team (9/16/2002)
VW AND PORSCHE: PARTNERS AT ARMS
The relationship between Porsche
and Volkswagen appears to be souring just as the two companies prepare to launch
the two new SUV/sports car crossover vehicles they jointly developed. Porsche
led the project, and will sell its version under the Cayenne nameplate. VW will
market its crossover as the Touareg. Both vehicles took their formal bows in
Paris this week, generating plenty of interest and more than a bit of
controversy. Their odd heritage is only part of the reason. Porsche insiders are
clearly not pleased that VW is taking aim at their upscale niche, rather than
taking Touareg down-market. “I’ve definitely got some competition,” complained
Fred Schwab, president of Porsche Cars North America. “They should have seen it
coming,” countered a VW exec, asking not to be mentioned by name. Referring to
Porsche, he added that “Sometimes a company can get a bit myopic.”
Cayenne “Profitable from Day One” by Ian Norris
(9/26/2002)
2003 Volkswagen Touareg
Volkswagen
introduced its long-awaited sport-utility vehicle, the Touareg, which company
CEO Bernd Pischetstrieder promises will present “a new alternative” in the
increasingly crowded segment. The Touareg goes on sale in the U.S. next year
with a V-6 model priced in the mid-$30,000s. A V-8 costing about $10,000 more
will follow late in 2003 or early in 2004. “We’re late to the party, but what an
entrance,” said Wilfred Bockelmann, VW board member responsible for technical
development. He promised the Touareg would offer “the dynamics of a sports car,
the comfort of a luxury sedan, and the capability of an SUV.” VW developed the
Touareg with Porsche, which introduced its Cayenne SUV in Paris. The Touareg,
which VW wants pronounced “tour-egg,” features electronically controlled
full-time all-wheel drive, including a low gear for heavy offiroad use. The
normal torque split of 50/50 rear/front can be varied to 100 percent on either
axle for traction. A six-speed automatic transmission is mated to a 220-hp
3.2-liter V-6 and a 4.9-liter diesel V-10 that generates 313 hp. The diesel uses
just 12.2 liters of fuel per 100 km. VW may offer the diesel in the U.S.
—Mark Phelan
IT DOESN'T TAKE A WEATHERMAN…
The most important task for
Volkswagen's new CEO, Bernd Pischetsrieder, is to make the company
"weatherproof." During a conversation at the annual Paris Motor Show,
Pischetsrieder made it clear big changes are on the way at the German company.
He has already begun to reposition VW's various brands so they overlap less. And
he's taking steps to ensure new vehicles are more distinctive. One of the
problems Volkswagen faces is the fact that models like the Passat and Audi A4
are too much alike, critics contend, but Pischetsrieder predicts that will be
less the case in the future. Look for significantly more niche vehicles, he
added, a reflection of the fact that the European market (along with the U.S.)
is fragmenting into small niches-36 different segments, by VW's definition,
compared to nine a mere decade ago. VW has seen its sales and market share soar
over that decade, but Pischetsrieder is reluctant to take full advantage,
cautioning it is best not to overbuild production capacity for the boom years,
then suffer when sales and share slip. Considered a leader in interior and
exterior design, VW and Audi are considered by many competitors to be the brands
to copy and beat. That doesn't worry him, says Pischetsrieder. "Who follows in
someone else's footsteps can't lead," he laughs. "If they copy us," he adds, "we
will go somewhere else." —TCC Team
Audi
Muscling Into Top Tier? by TCC Team (9/9/2002)
2003 GM Hy-Wire concept
General Motors took the unusual
step of introducing one of its more unusual concept vehicles in Paris. Hy-Wire
is short for both hydrogen and by-wire, the first part referring to the
vehicle's hydrogen-powered fuel cell stack, the second half of the name refers
to the drive-by-wire system that replaces conventional mechanical controls.
There are no pedals in the unusually spacious cabin, just a videogame-style
controller that puts steering, braking, shifting and throttle controls right at
the driver's fingertips. And the controls can be moved to allow for both right-
and left-hand-drive. All mechanical systems are located beneath the cabin floor
in a chassis no more than 11 inches thick. And in GM's concept, the bodies could
be quickly swapped out, allowing an owner to drive a coupe one day, an SUV the
next. "This is a true reinvention of the automobile," declared the automaker's
technology chief, Larry Burns. GM officials insist they are serious about
putting Hy-Wire and other fuel cell vehicles into production, but likely not
until late in the decade. —TCC Team
GM Walks Hy-Wire
with FCV by TCC Team (8/19/2002)
2003 Opel Meriva
“When we’re aggressive
with new products in Europe, we do well,” stressed General Motors CEO Rick
Wagoner. “When we get conservative, we fall back.” Struggling to reverse decline
share and profit, the carmaker unveiled a series of new vehicles that GM of
Europe Chairman Carl-Peter Forster declared “rolling showcases of our strategy.”
The Meriva is a microvan-like vehicle that “doesn’t fit into any conventional
product segment,” Forster insisted. Though less distinctive, its flexible
interior has a lot in common with Chrysler’s popular PT Cruiser.

2003 Opel ECO-Speedster Concept
2003 BMW Z4
BMW introduced its new Z4 roadster,
which boasts an angular new exterior style and another look at BMW’s ideas for
future interior designs. The new design emphasizes the Z4’s long nose, giving it
a profile reminiscent of the Aston Martin DB6. The car has extremely short front
and rear overhangs. The new interior design, like the Z4’s exterior, emphasizes
sharp lines and angles. The wide-opening doors make entry and exit considerably
easier than in the Z3. The gauge package features a computer display for the
trip computer in the speedometer. The tachometer houses smaller gauges for fuel
and water temperature. The Z4, which BMW builds in Spartanburg, South Carolina,
adds a one-touch power operated roof, which BMW says is the fastest-opening in
its class. BMW also confirmed yesterday that it would expand the Z4’s production
base in Greer, S.C., and spend $400 million to add more capacity and 400 more
jobs. —Mark Phelan
2009 Kia Borrego
Renault introduced the
fourth generation of its Espace minivan, the vehicle that created the segment
Chrysler has since come to dominate. Renault launched the first Espace in 1984.
The new model features larger wheels -- up to 18 inches -- and a wider track for
what Renault calls “a more masculine design.” The automaker hopes to sell
450,000 annually in short- and long-wheelbase models.

2003 Renault Ellypse concept

2003 Renault Megane
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