BMW. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Hear that whooshing sound? That's the window of opportunity closing rapidly for Tesla. Early acceptance - and orders - of the BMW i3 electric car in Europe is beyond expectations, to the point where the German manufacturer will have to increase production. Is it a precursor of things to come in this market? Yes. Tesla has enjoyed its day in the sun, but Elon & Co. is about to learn a very important lesson about the power of brands. - PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Joel Ewanick, finally free from his non-compete with GM, sets the record straight about a few things in an interview with Advertising Age. Read it here. - PMD
(BMW Group)
The new 2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible will be offered in the US as a 428i, featuring BMW’s TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, and as a 435i with the TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline six. Both will feature a standard 8-speed sport automatic transmission, as the move away from manual shifting continues. The 428i Convertible will be offered with a choice of rear-wheel drive or with optional xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel drive system, while the 435i Convertible will be available at launch with rear wheel drive. The 2014 BMW 428i Convertible will have a base MSRP of $49,675, and the 2014 BMW 435i Convertible will have a starting price of $55,825. Both prices include $925 destination and handling. The BMW 4 Series Convertible will arrive in US showrooms in the first quarter of 2014.
The new 2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible will be offered in the US as a 428i, featuring BMW’s TwinPower Turbo 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, and as a 435i with the TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter inline six. Both will feature a standard 8-speed sport automatic transmission, as the move away from manual shifting continues. The 428i Convertible will be offered with a choice of rear-wheel drive or with optional xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel drive system, while the 435i Convertible will be available at launch with rear wheel drive. The 2014 BMW 428i Convertible will have a base MSRP of $49,675, and the 2014 BMW 435i Convertible will have a starting price of $55,825. Both prices include $925 destination and handling. The BMW 4 Series Convertible will arrive in US showrooms in the first quarter of 2014.
(Photos and video courtesy of GM/Chevrolet)
The all-new, 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 lapped Germany’s challenging Nürburgring road course in 7:37.40, a time comparable with some of the world’s most prestigious sports cars. And they have the video to prove it. The Z/28’s lap is four seconds faster than the Camaro ZL1, and beats published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. The Z/28’s lap was completed in less-than-ideal conditions, with damp pavement and pouring rain near the end of the run. "One of the challenges of testing at the 'Ring is that the track is so long that conditions can change radically in a single lap," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. "Adam Dean, the development driver for Z/28, did a heroic job driving in deteriorating conditions. Based on telemetry data from our test sessions, we know the Z/28 can be as much as six seconds faster on a dry track." The naturally aspirated Z/28 weighs 300 pounds less than the supercharged Camaro ZL1, with changes ranging from lightweight wheels to thinner rear-window glass. The Z/28 is powered by the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine, which uses lightweight, racing-proven, high-performance components, such as titanium intake valves and connecting rods, CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads and a forged-steel crankshaft to help produce an SAE-certified 505 horsepower (376 kW) and 481 lb-ft of torque (652 Nm). Air-conditioning is available, but only as an option. The team spent a week at the Nürburgring as part of the Z/28's performance-validation regimen, accumulating a total of 10 hours and nearly 1,000 miles on the track. Each lap took less than eight minutes to complete, despite having to overtake slower traffic at times. These hours are part of the grueling 24-Hour Test, which simulates a full year's worth of track use of track days or amateur-level competition at the hands of an owner.
The all-new, 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 lapped Germany’s challenging Nürburgring road course in 7:37.40, a time comparable with some of the world’s most prestigious sports cars. And they have the video to prove it. The Z/28’s lap is four seconds faster than the Camaro ZL1, and beats published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. The Z/28’s lap was completed in less-than-ideal conditions, with damp pavement and pouring rain near the end of the run. "One of the challenges of testing at the 'Ring is that the track is so long that conditions can change radically in a single lap," said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. "Adam Dean, the development driver for Z/28, did a heroic job driving in deteriorating conditions. Based on telemetry data from our test sessions, we know the Z/28 can be as much as six seconds faster on a dry track." The naturally aspirated Z/28 weighs 300 pounds less than the supercharged Camaro ZL1, with changes ranging from lightweight wheels to thinner rear-window glass. The Z/28 is powered by the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine, which uses lightweight, racing-proven, high-performance components, such as titanium intake valves and connecting rods, CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads and a forged-steel crankshaft to help produce an SAE-certified 505 horsepower (376 kW) and 481 lb-ft of torque (652 Nm). Air-conditioning is available, but only as an option. The team spent a week at the Nürburgring as part of the Z/28's performance-validation regimen, accumulating a total of 10 hours and nearly 1,000 miles on the track. Each lap took less than eight minutes to complete, despite having to overtake slower traffic at times. These hours are part of the grueling 24-Hour Test, which simulates a full year's worth of track use of track days or amateur-level competition at the hands of an owner.
Editor-in-Chief's's Note: For our "Quick Take" this week we're in the 2014 VW CC R-Line. The CC is for the most part, competent. It goes fairly well, it stops, it handles decently, it's somewhat pleasing to look at. But the reality is that the CC is completely soulless, an appliance with vaguely Germanic frosting. As good as the VW GTI was with this same basic drivetrain, the CC felt uninspired, sluggish and boring. Not that it did anything wrong, or wasn't pleasant enough at speed on the road, but our overall impression of the CC is that it was a bit of a yawner. The exterior design is the CC's calling card, supposedly giving the impression of faux German luxury at a more affordable price, but it feels dated and boring now. And the CC's interior, though competent and functional, was bland-tastic and forgettable. In fact, the more time we spent in the CC the more we realized there's really no compelling reason to own one. And the more we thought about it, the more we asked - wouldn't we really rather have a Buick? After all, we'd take a LaCrosse over the CC any day of the week. Or a Ford Fusion. Or even a VW Passat. - PMD
2014 VW CC R-Line: $33,890 ($33,025 Base Price; Reflex Silver Metallic exterior; Black Leatherette Interior; 2.0-liter direct-injected turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 200HP and 207 lbs-ft of torque; 6-speed manual gearbox; front-wheel drive; 18" alloy wheels with all-season tires; Power heated front seats; power exterior mirrors; SiriusXM Satellite Radio (limited time subscription included); RNS 315 touch screen navigation system; V-Tex Leatherette seating surfaces; Leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel; Bi-Xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights; R-Line front sport bumper and side skirts; Destination Charge, $865)
Adherence to Brand Image: The VW CC is the best reason we can think of to buy a GTI or a Jetta, or to save your money and get an Audi A4. The CC adds nothing to the discussion when it comes to the dreaded "near luxury" space, and frankly there are so many competitors out there that offer more in terms of overall appeal that we'd just skip the car altogether. - PMD