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Jetta Jumps Out in L.A.

VW Jetta
An all-new Volkswagen Jetta took its bows during the
opening press day at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, and according to company
officials, the operative adjective is “more.” As in more room, more power, more
features, more safety equipment. The debut marks the 25th anniversary for VW’s compact Jetta, which has,
over that quarter-century, sold 2.2 million copies in the U.S., making this the
car’s number-one market. The automaker hopes to expand the appeal of the new
Jetta, and its price tag certainly won’t hurt. The version with an all-new,
150-hp, in-line five-cylinder engine and standard transmission starts at
$17,900, while the same car with a six-speed automatic will base at $18,900. The
new Jetta features an electromechanical steering system and, for the first time,
an independent multilink rear suspension. The car’s body boasts 13-percent
better torsional rigidity than the old Jetta and 65-percent better bending
rigidity. Hoping to allay fears about recent quality problems, VW officials also
noted their investment in new production technology, including a
state-of-the-art laser welding system. The new Jetta is the first model in a
major product offensive planned by the German maker, said Len Hunt, executive
vice president of Volkswagen of America. The company intends to roll out nine
new models during the next 18 months.
SVT Still Kicking, Ford
Says

Hau Thai-Tang
With no cars currently on the market, there’ve been plenty
of rumors working their way through the industry grapevine about the future of
Ford Motor Co.’s high-performance SVT unit. But “reports of its demise have been
greatly exaggerated,” the head of the brand-within-a-brand told
TheCarConnection.com, lifting a turn-of-phrase from Mark Twain. “We’d hate
to give up on the brand equity we’ve established over the last ten years,” insisted
Hau Thai-Tang, the new boss of SVT, who until recently led the development of
the new, retro-styled Mustang. An SVT version of the Mustang will be unveiled at
the upcoming New York Auto Show, said Thai-Tang, and though he wouldn’t confirm
production plans, sources told TCC it’s a bit more than a year away. Several
other possible SVT models are under consideration, with an emphasis on adding a
more mainstream product, such as a high-performance Fusion sedan.
SVT’s current hiatus was not due to problems with the
unit, Thai-Tang insisted, but simply the result of limited resources being
shifted to the development of the Ford GT supercar. Going forward, SVT intends
to return to its roots, the Vietnamese-born executive explained during an
exclusive interview. It will focus on building high-performance, limited-volume
products with “substance” and value. But rather than putting a premium on
off-the-line acceleration, future SVT models will likely strive to have broader
appeal, much like the vehicles sold by European high-performance brands, such as
BMW’s M line. That means they’ll have to handle and stop as well as they launch
at a light, said Thai-Tang. Do not expect an SVT version of every Ford division
product, sources report, though it is possible SVT may eventually lend its name
to products sold by other Ford Motor Co. divisions.
Meanwhile, Ford is likely to develop
other high-performance options. It is expected to expand its ties to Shelby
Motors, the tuner firm run by racing legend and longtime Ford consultant Carroll
Shelby, as well as Saleen Motors, the
California
firm best known for its customized
Mustang models.
Mustang Convertible Already Backlogged
Ford Mustang Convertible
The ragtop version of Ford’s screamingly popular new
Mustang official rolled onto the stage at the LA Convention Center Wednesday.
But those looking for one of the cars could be in for a bit of a wait,
considering the backlog of orders, said Greg Smith, Ford Motor Co.’s Chairman of
the
Americas
. In a market where almost all buyers normally opt for
something off the dealer lot, there are currently 6000 buyers currently waiting
to take delivery of customized Mustangs. Overall sales last month ran about 60
percent above December 2003 figures. Prices for the V-6-powered base convertible
start at $24,495, and jump to $29,995 for the 300-hp V-8 GT Deluxe.
Dodge
Hits a Double With Two New SRTs

Viper SRT-10 and Magnum SRT-8
The “passionate car freaks” at Chrysler Group rolled out two new additions to
their growing line-up of SRT performance cars. The Dodge Viper SRT-10 is the
long-awaited coupe version of the automaker’s high-testosterone roadster. “The
newest snake in the pit” boasts a 505 cubic inch V-10 making 500 horsepower and
525 lb-ft of torque, according to SRT chief Eric Ridenour. Expect 0-60 times of
“under” four seconds. Viper fans have been eagerly waiting for the new hardtop
edition ever since the first-generation coupe vanished from the market. What may
take gearheads by surprise is the performance promised from the second SRT model
coming out of the Dodge division. Think of the SRT-8 as a “Magnum on steroids,”
suggested Ridenour. With the new version of the high-demand Hemi engine bored
out to 6.1 liters, the Magnum SRT-8 will make a tire-spinning 425-hp and leap
from 0-60 in the “low” five second range. Dodge also added a functional spoiler
and oversized Brembo brakes to complete the package.
VW Has “Compelling Vision” For Green Machines

Bernd Pischetsrieder
If automakers and regulators really want to clean up
emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, they should forget about
hydrogen and sky the hybrid, declared Volkswagen Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder
during his keynote speech opening the 2005 Los Angeles Auto
Show.
“The most compelling vision,” the German executive asserted is one that shifts
to diesel technology and biomass and synthetic diesel fuels. The diesel, said
Pischetsrieder, is much more effective in a broader range of driving conditions,
though he confirmed prior reports in TheCarConnection that VW is developing a
hybrid-electric diesel powertrain. Biomass fuels, which are derived from
feedstocks, like soy, are “CO2 neutral,” the VW CEO pointed out, while most
forms of hydrogen would actually require significant amounts of energy to
produce. In his closing comments, Pischetsrieder did admit there’s a potential
wrinkle to his plan: new
U.S.
emissions standards going into
effect in 2007. While he stressed that diesel engines could meet the tougher
rules, he conceded consumers might balk at the added cost of the necessary
pollution control systems.
What About Diesel and Gas
Hybrids?
In a question-and-answer session with reporters,
Volkswagen CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder hinted that his company is working on a
novel alternative engine designed to blend the best of gasoline and diesel
technology. Though the VW Chairman wouldn’t provide any significant details, the
internal combustion hybrid operates like a diesel until it reaches 3500 rpm —
that is, it uses high compression to ignite its air/fuel mix. At higher revs, up
to 8500 rpm, it relies on a spark plug, much like a conventional gasoline
engine. The prototype “combines very low emissions and (delivers) very high
performance,” said Pischetsrieder, while also reducing fuel consumption
markedly. But the prototype is anything but ready for prime time. For one thing,
it requires a special blend of synthetic fuels to operate.
BMW’s Hydrogen Redux

BMW H2R
While VW may be ready to write off hydrogen power, the lightweight gas is
becoming the option of choice for its German rival, BMW. The Bavarian automaker
staged the
U.S.
debut of its record-setting, 300-mph H2R prototype, which
uses a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine. The streamlined racer has
already set nine world records. And it is serving as the prototype for BMW’s
first production car. A modified version of the 7-Series will be able to run on
either hydrogen or gasoline, BMW’s U.S. CEO, Tom Purves, told his
L.A.
audience. It will go
into production “during the life of the current (7-) Series.”
BMW isn’t ready to give up on gasoline, however, and it also lifted the
covers on its Competition Package for the already quick M3 model. Think of the
$4000 package as “the razor’s edge,” asserted Purves. It includes 19-inch forged
alloy wheels, a modified steering and suspension system, less intrusive
stability control, and beefier, 13.6-inch brake rotors. The Competition Package
will go on sale in February.
Bentley Drops Heads, Jaws on Arnage

2005 Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe
While it’s too early to say which cars
debuting in
Los Angeles
will fall in the winners and losers
categories, there’s no denying the attention being lavished on Bentley’s
striking Arnage Drophead Convertible. Officially, the two-door ragtop is still a
concept, cautioned the British marque’s CEO, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, but likely
not for long. If it receives the same sort of reception from the public it is
getting from the automotive media, “We will launch the production car in spring
2006,” he acknowledged. The Drophead would be Bentley’s first open-air model
since the Azure went out of production two years ago. It features plenty of room
for four adults and a top that fully retracts in less than 30 seconds. Based on
the big Arnage chassis, it also shares the 450-horsepower, turbo V-8 powertrain
featured in the Arnage T.
…And Could Share Phaeton
Plant
The Drophead is
likely to be a limited-production model, even by Bentley standards, Paefgen
later told TheCarConnection.com, with sales expected to run no more than 1000
over the entire life of the program. Meanwhile, it could be joined by a second
Bentley convertible, this one derived from the popular Continental GT sports
coupe. Sales of the $150,000 Conti GT well exceeded expectations last year and
while final numbers won’t be available until next week, at the earliest,
Bentley’s global volume likely approached 6000 in 2004. With a sedan spin-off
due to market later this year, the fate of the convertible is unclear because
Bentley simply can’t keep up with current demand for the new car. But it may get
some relief in the form of a second assembly plant — the factory currently
producing the Volkswagen Phaeton, in Dresden, Germany. That facility could
produce as much as 20 percent of all Continental GTs, VW CEO Bernd
Pischetsrieder told TCC. And because bodies for the Conti are already produced
in Germany, they wouldn’t have to be shipped over to Britain for final assembly,
reducing overall production costs.
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