ON THE TABLE

September 14, 2011

Editor's Note: Watch for The Autoextremist on "Autoline Daily" this Wednesday (9/14), Thursday (9/15) and Friday (9/16), here. And watch this week's "Autoline After Hours" Thursday night at 7 p.m. - WG

 Osamu Suzuki. The 81-year-old chairman of Suzuki made a deal with VW in December of 2009 allowing the German firm to acquire 19.9 percent of his company. Then the insular "not invented here" culture that permeates Suzuki rears its ugly head and prevents any progress from being made, as Suzuki's ponderous - some say paralyzed - internal decision-making process leaves VW executives shaking their heads. Then, bristling at the suggestion that it's only a matter of time before VW swallows Suzuki whole, the reactionary Japanese automaker decides to go out and sign a purchase agreement with Fiat in June to purchase diesel engines from Fiat, despite the fact that VW is considered to be the most experienced builder of advanced diesel engines in the world. Then the Suzuki chairman posts a blog item in July saying that the company hadn't found anything that they wanted from VW, at least not right away. Needless to say the agreement is stalled, if not blown-up altogether, and VW has been privy to an up close and personal view as to why Suzuki will always be Suzuki. And nothing more.

   Olivier Francois. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Chrysler's Chief Marketing officer, Olivier "I'm a genius, just ask me" Francois's latest gift to us lesser citizens is the signing of Jennifer Lopez to hawk the Fiat 500, part of a marketing onslaught that includes: A New Music Video! And New TV campaigns! "Like the Fiat consumer, Jennifer Lopez sees the world as her canvas and is not afraid to express herself; she is continuously drawn to projects that are authentic and real," Francois positively gushed in a statement. "Jennifer fits perfectly with the brand not because of who she is but because of what she is -- authentic, passionate, modern and a fighter determined to stand out from the rest. As you look at her career path, she embodies the Fiat philosophy, 'Life is Best When Driven.' " Really? We're supposed to get all that and put it together with Fiat? Wow, that's some spicy meatballs. Auto companies have been star-fucking for decades with little or nothing to show for it. I could count on one hand the number of times it has worked, but let's just say this latest go-around smacks of the second coming of Celine Dion hawking Chryslers, which was an unmitigated disaster from the get-go. Wait a minute, maybe Francois is channeling the ghost of Peter Arnell with this lame-brained move and if that's the case, I couldn't imagine a bigger steaming pile of Not Good. In the immortal words of the Wicked Witch of the West, "Oh, what a world! What a world!" - PMD

(BMW Group)
Leaving no "green" vapor unappreciated, BMW Motorrad designers have developed yet another "e-scooter of the future" for the Frankfurt show. BMW says that, "The shaping and precision achieved reflect the core values of BMW Motorrad: emotion, dynamic performance and innovation." Wow, really? We're not seeing it.

(Ford)
They've already teased it and shown it too many times, but the production Ford Focus ST finally makes its formal debut in Frankfurt this week. At least in Europe anyway. Calling it Ford's "first truly global performance car," the Focus ST is powered by the 2.0-liter, all-aluminum Ford EcoBoost engine featuring high pressure direct injection, low-inertia turbocharging and Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) delivering 250PS and strong torque levels in a broad, flat torque curve peaking at 360Nm. The EcoBoost 2.0-liter in the Focus ST is expected to cut both CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by more than 20 per cent from the previous-generation European model when fuel consumption data is certified. A 6-speed manual gearbox, trick suspension, steering and brakes, as well as a whole bunch of other goodies are included that make this car special, none of which we'll mention now since it will be unveiled again at the L.A. auto show in November. The Focus ST will be available to U.S. customers next June.

(Ford)
Ford is introducing its smallest-ever EcoBoost engine at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The 1.0-liter, direct-injected 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine will power three models in the European product range – the Focus, followed by C-MAX and the all-new Ford B-MAX – and will eventually be seen in the U.S. as well. The new engine will be the smallest currently produced by Ford yet it delivers the power of a 1.6-liter engine, with much higher efficiency.  Developed at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the UK, the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine features a new, compact, high-performance turbocharger design, and an exhaust manifold cast into the cylinder head, which lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases and in turn enables the engine to run with the optimum fuel-to-air ratio across a wider rev band. An advanced “split cooling” system is also used, which reduces fuel consumption by warming the engine more quickly. Interestingly, unlike the larger EcoBoost engines, cast iron is used in the 1.0-liter's block, reducing the amount of energy needed for warm-up by up to 50 percent compared with aluminium.

(Ford)
Ford also unveiled a new Fiesta ST Concept at Frankfurt. Inspired by the Ford Fiesta WRC, the Fiesta ST features trick chassis bits and a higher-performance 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost engine. The Fiesta ST is expected to deliver 177 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque when it is offered to the public, with a 0-60 mph time of less than seven seconds. A top speed exceeding 136 mph is targeted. It will be available in the U.S. eventually.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "Quick Take" this week concerns the Nissan Juke. The Juke may not be everyone's cup of tea to look at, but it is a shockingly entertaining car. Powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter, 188 hp 4-cylinder and connected to a wonderful 6-speed manual gearbox (a CVT is optional but thankfully our test car wasn't equipped with it), the front-wheel-drive Juke is an absolute kick in the urban arena and it delivers the cut-and-thrust style of motoring needed in order to survive in it. Believe it or not, the Juke is every bit a sport-type car (we don't like to use the term "sporty" around here) in the MINI Cooper S and VW GTI mode, only its packaging - and design - is out-of-category and hard to pin down. Is it a sport hatch or a funky little crossover? Well, it's a little bit of both and that's why it's so intriguing. As a matter of fact if the Juke packaging were to be wrapped in a new set of clothes provided by BMW and called the second coming of the 2002 for the modern era, it would not disappoint. It's that good and that much fun to drive. The look of the Juke may turn people off but to me that's one of its most endearing qualities. I applaud a manufacturer for marching to a different drummer when it comes to taking risks with design, and the Juke definitely lives up to that billing. It doesn't look like anything else and that's very much a good thing. It refuses to blend into the woodwork and we applaud Nissan for just going for it. Now, we have to remind ourselves that the Juke comes from the same company that "imagined" the Murano CrossCabriolet, so going for it doesn't always work out, that's for sure. But the Juke works, so bless its funkified little heart. - PMD

Editor's Note: The Juke is starting to mess with my head. What kind of vehicle is it, exactly? Slide into the driver's seat and you're up high - with a sport utility-like view and that feeling that you own the road. Spend some time driving it, however, and it's anything but a sport ute or even a crossover (whatever that was ever supposed to mean in the first place). It’s lithe and agile and basically a blast to drive. Bottom line? The Juke is quirky, but it's a good quirky. It's funky and fun, but it's also practical and purposeful. The styling is playful and you either get it or you don’t, but at least it has a point of view. (Oh, and one more thing - if you ever happen to be parked in the Juke in the rain, pay attention to the sound of the windshield wipers - I swear they are tuned to play a subtle melody as they sweep across the windshield. Honest.) -WG

2011 Nissan Juke SV FWD M/T, $22,490 (20,260 Base Price; Carpeted floor mats and cargo mat, $170; Sport Package - rear roof spoiler, 17" gunmetal wheels, stainless steel exhaust finisher, $1,310; Destination charge, $750).

(Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off what they're calling "the most powerful C-Class of all time" - the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series in Frankfurt. With a 6.3-liter, 510 hp V8 and maximum torque of 457 lb ft, the new high-performance show pony accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. So, we believe them.

(Maserati)
Maserati unveiled the Sergio Edition of the Jeep Grand Cherokee/Dodge Durango - aka the Kubang - at the Frankfurt Auto Show saying, "... the forerunner of the future Maserati range, creating at once discontinuity by entering a new segment, and continuity by maintaining the integrity of Maserati’s DNA." Uh-huh. Maserati, er, Fiat, er Sergio insists that the "...essence and all major system components of the Maserati sport luxury SUV will unmistakably be Maserati: style, engine, suspensions, brakes, handling and performance will all be 100% Maserati in picture-perfect continuity with the brand’s core values of sportiness, style, elegance, luxury, performance and craftsmanship." We can hardly wait.