ON THE TABLE
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 05:59PM February 23, 2011
The American Driver. Okay, folks, buckle those chin straps because the Era of Cheap Gasoline is officially over (in case there was any doubt). Courtesy of the tinderbox in the Middle East $4.00 per gallon will be the new bottom and we could very well be looking at $5.00 per gallon before Memorial Day. This just in: it's gonna be a Super Tanker of Not Good.
BMW. Really? They're going to call their new touchy-feely plug-in hybrid sub-brand the "i" because it "...represents a new movement in premium mobility," according to BMW's marketing chief, Ian Robertson. We'll see what Apple's lawyers have to say about that. And Really? Part II, Robertson goes on to say, "With the introduction of this new sub-brand, the BMW Group reaffirms its leadership as the most innovative and sustainable premium car company." Get in line with all of the other car companies saying exactly the same damn thing, pal.
Honda. The company is reducing the size of its board of directors from 20 to 12 in the interest of quicker, more focused decision making. You guys are just getting around to this now? No wonder Honda has gone off the rails. It's clear this company won't be finding its mojo anytime soon.
Toyota. President Akio Toyoda will announce his Toyota Global Vision for where the world's top automaker is headed over the next decade -- out to 2020 -- on March 9. No one is leaking any advanced word on Toyoda's "vision" but how much do you want to bet he'll say something about "reaffirming our leadership as the most innovative and sustainable car company," or something like that?
(BMW)
MINI will unveil the Rocketman Concept at the International Geneva Motor Show (March 3 – 13, 2011). A 3+1-seater with three doors and a length of just over three meters, the MINI Rocketman Concept is aimed at "mobile lifestyles in the big cities of the future." MINI "added lightness" to the concept with a carbon spaceframe construction that is visible at the front end of the car, around its doors and in the interior. Designed to provide the maximum amount of room on the smallest possible footprint, the MINI Rocketman Concept measures 3.419 meters (approx. 11 ft. 3 in.) in length, adding just a few extra centimeters to the front and rear of the original 1959 MINI. It's 1.907 meters (approx. 6 ft. 3 in.) wide, including the exterior mirrors, and stands 1.398 meters (approx. 4 ft. 7 in) tall. The full-surface glass roof of the Rocketman Concept is segmented by illuminated braces to recreate the look of Britain’s Union Jack flag. When not illuminated, the longitudinal, horizontal and diagonal braces glow a bright Porcelain White. In darkness the integrated optical fibers give the interior of the MINI Rocketman Concept indirect illumination.
(Images courtesy of Aston Martin)
Aston Martin has introduced the new Virage powered by a hand-built 6.0 liter V12 engine producing 490 bhp (365 kW/497 PS) and 570 nM (420 lb. Ft) of torque. The Virage fits between the DB9 and DBS in the Aston Martin range. The Virage and Virage Volante are on sale now, but pricing for the new Virage will be confirmed at the Geneva Motor Show.
(Digital Art by Casey Shane)
Our friend Casey Shane (aka "artandcolour") presents his take on "a Viper-powered Chrysler 300 Nassau coupe, a V10 for the masses... well maybe they could squeeze in a hybrid assist somewhere for PR sake. I've also recently created this Supra, made from the Lexus LF/A. Probably way too clean for a modern-day Toyota! I was thinking of the early-to-mid '80s Celica Supra, not the last generation twin-turbo monster with the slightly miniaturized Superbird rear wing." Cool stuff.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "Quick Take" this week covers the 2011 Audi S4 quattro MT6 Sedan. Since I have a 2010 Audi S4 quattro with the dual-clutch automatic as my daily driver (along with a 2011 Ford Fiesta), I was curious to drive this version of Audi's high-performance sedan. And I must say, as much as I love my car the 6-speed manual in our Imola Yellow/Black S4 tester is damn near perfect and the overall feel of the car is just tremendous. This is actually the purer sport version of Audi's already superb S4, with the emphasis on minimal options and equipped with just the stuff you need to go fast and have fun doing it. And it works exceptionally well. In hindsight would I have gotten my S4 equipped this way? That's a tough one, but after driving this version of the S4 I would have to say "yes." - PMD
2011 Audi S4 quattro MT6 Sedan: $49,625, ($46,600 Base Price; 3.0L TFSI DOHC Supercharged V6 with 333 HP, 6-speed manual transmission; Sports Rear Differential Package - $1,100; Titanium Package - 19" Titanium-optic alloy wheels, Black exterior design elements and black front filler panel - $1,050; Total Options: $2,150; Destination Charge $875).
