Mini Conspires to Save The Manuals, Offers 500 Bucks Off Stick-Shift Cars

August 4, 2011 at 5:18pm by Davey G. Johnson

Using the tagline, “Automatics might be easy, but manuals have more fun,” the Anglo-Teutons (Anglotoots? Teutanglos? Tangelos? Tangelos!) at Mini either ardently support our Save the Manuals cause or they’ve just got a bunch of stick-equipped vehicles to unload. Either way, through August 31st, they’re offering 500 bucks off of any 2011 that isn’t a Countryman if you purchase the three-pedal version. Then again, if you’re considering a Mini and retain use of all four limbs, why wouldn’t you be buying one with a man-trans? Think of it as a reward for just for being you. Thanks, Tangelos!

Tags: Mini, Mini Cooper |

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When is a Zagato Not a Zagato? When it’s a Scagliarini

August 4, 2011 at 5:30pm by Davey G. Johnson

Tuesday, Scagliarini Motorsports (based in Colorado, because nothing says “Italia” like Boulder stoners and Durango ranch hands) offered up a concept drawing of a modified Fiat 500 Abarth mini-panel-van called the 504 Coupè Zagato Elaborata. Though Scagliarini claims the car draws influence from the Fiat 8v Elaborata by Zagato, the august adder-of-double-bubbles-to-all-things actually had nothing at all to do with Scagliarini’s drawing and wants that fact known. Zagato Communication Manager Alvise-Marco Seno fired off the following missive, suggesting legal action is underway:

Dear journalist/staff,

As concerns the “Abarth – Scagliarini – Zagato”, please find attached an official statement about our company.

Zagato neither had any official relationship with Scagliarini, nor was officially contacted by any member regarding this project.

This news (which is published everywhere) created a great embarrassment to us. So It will be extremely appreciated if you could give it maximum visibility.

“Zagato Intend to declare that there isn’t any involvement at all regarding the ‘Scagliarini 504 Coupé Zagato Elaborata’. The Milanese Atelier has been never approached by Scagliarini and neither contacts nor commercial initiatives took place at all. Due to the above reasons Zagato neither released any approval regarding this project and the Intellectual Property of the Fiat 500 Zagato, nor the use of the Zagato name and logo. In addition, no production tooling have been ever used to design the above Scagliarini. Zagato is taking all the needed legal actions for the purpose”.

We at Car and Driver are naturally nothing but kindly attentive, and—above all—kind. We’re not so sure about Scagliarini, though. The “About Us” on the company’s web page feels a little fast and loose with the context; only a careful reading makes it clear that Scagliarini has no affiliation with Fiat or Abarth.

In a statement released today via its Facebook page, Scagliarini counters—in part—“The hysteria that has been created by our elaboration of the FIAT 500 Coupe Zagato is not the type of exposure Scagliarini Motorsports seeks. As a show of our respect to a great man and the co-Founder of Abarth, effective immediately Scagliarini Motorsports has renamed its elaboration of the FIAT 500 Coupe Zagato to simply 504 Coupè Zagato Elaborata.”

We ask, how is that better? Nobody speaks Italian! Everybody here thinks “GTO” stands for “John Z. De Lorean” and wonders if Ferrari licensed it for the 599 along with the MagneRide shocks. Oh, Scagliarini, we’d like you better if you just stopped being all weird and shifty.

Tags: Abarth, Scagliarini Zagato |

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2012 Buick Regal GS Prototype Drive: We Turn a Few Hot Laps in Buick’s Hottest Sedan [W/ VIDEO]

The relaunch—revival, really—of Buick’s storied, then abused, then abandoned GS performance moniker is quickly approaching: The $35,310 Regal GS hits dealers this fall. This fall is soon, so as the car enters its final development phase, GM invited us out to its Milford, Michigan, proving grounds to take a turn behind the wheel. With the caveat that our impressions were derived only from the smooth, tight, and twisty handling course at the grounds (which replicates some of the most challenging sectors from various race tracks around the world), read on to see what we gleaned from a preproduction GS.

Regal GS: A Primer

But first, a refresher on what’s happened with the hottest of Regals—the first to wear the GS badge as more than mere window dressing in a long time—since its debut at the 2010 Los Angeles auto show. The car’s dedicated crew of engineers took the show car’s 255-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four, itself a version of the 220-horse 2.0 in the Regal Turbo, and bumped total output to 270 hp to go with 295 lb-ft of torque. The supplementary oomph over the Turbo comes from cranking up the boost to 20 psi versus 15, and gifting the GS a freer-flowing exhaust and a slightly reworked intake system. Furthering the true-GS mantra, this hopped-up Regal finds itself fitted with other performance goodies such as larger front brake rotors with four-piston Brembo calipers, nicely bolstered seats, available Pirelli P Zero performance tires, and GM’s trick HiPer Strut front suspension setup. That latter works with Buick’s adaptive Interactive Drive Control system (which controls damping and steering, and here includes a unique, stiffer GS mode) to help get the power to the ground without much torque steer.

Yes, the GS eschews an all-wheel-drive setup (as appeared on the GS concept) for front-wheel drive; GM engineers tell us the decision was made in the interests of saving weight and cost. The 2.0-liter feeds its power to a six-speed manual, which was originally tipped to be the only transmission, but a six-speed automatic will show up on the options sheet at a later date.

Aesthetic clues to the GS’s sportier mission go beyond the badge. The car wears more-aggressive front and rear fascias, rocker-panel extensions, a decklid spoiler, and its own 19-inch wheels. If you want to upgrade to the P Zero summer rubber, you’ll also nab a set of attractive upsized 20-inch rollers.

The Drive

The first thing we did when we slid behind the wheel was to put the car in its unique GS mode; hitting the button—located to the far left of the upper center stack, next to the driver—firms up the suspension and dials more weight into the steering. The very next thing we did, of course, was to introduce the go pedal to the floorboard. Wide-open throttle didn’t light our hair on fire—we expect the GS to post a 0-to-60-mph time of six seconds flat—but we found immediate positives, namely the lack of torque steer and the fact that we could row through the six-speed manual with gusto. We’re told the transmission is fundamentally the same unit as the one installed in our previous manual Regal test car, where we thought it was, frankly, terrible. But it was much more satisfying to use here; a Buick spokesperson confirmed running changes have been made to the gearbox.

Through the first couple of turns, the car felt well balanced and exhibited little understeer. The suspension was firm enough to handle the quick transitions through a set of fast esses, but it’s not stiff enough to allow for lift-throttle oversteer. The weight of the steering is similarly not-too-hot, not-too-cold, with just enough heft to keep things interesting, but it transmits only soft whispers from the Pirellis. We like that we can feel something, but more communication wouldn’t hurt. The brakes have a good amount of initial bite, seem strong, and are easy to modulate, even as they don’t offer much in the way of feedback.

The car will be further refined, tweaked, and dialed in before production units leave the factory, but our early impression is a solid one. What the Regal GS won’t become in the process, however, is a hard-core sports sedan—Buick doesn’t intend it to be one. It’s hard to imagine any Regals will see much track time, thus the company sees no need for a limited-slip differential or pedal placement conducive to heel-toe downshifting. And so the street is where you’ll find the GS, and that’s where we’ll gather our next impressions. For now, though, this revival looks like one worth attending.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

BASE PRICE: $35,310

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 122 cu in, 1998 cc
Power (SAE net): 270 hp @ 5300 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 295 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.8 in Length: 190.2 in
Width: 73.1 in Height: 58.0 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3800 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway: 19/27 mpg

 

Buick Prices Hot 270-hp Regal GS at $35,310, 36-mpg Regal with eAssist is $29,530

The number of Buick Regal variants is set to double this fall, as the base Regal and Regal Turbo are joined by a 270-hp Regal GS and an economy-minded Regal with a mild-hybrid system called eAssist. With the showroom debut of the latter two cars drawing nearer, the company announced pricing for both today: The 2012 Regal GS will start at $35,310, while the Regal with eAssist will begin at $29,530.

The Regal GS—GS stands for Gran Sport, an appellation for the hottest Buicks going back to the 1960s—will come with a 270-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 295 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and a six-speed auto will land on the options sheet later in 2012. While the entry price is steep, the Regal GS will come very well equipped. In addition to the aggressive body kit and unique front fascia, the GS features standard 19-inch rims, front and rear parking assist, a leather-slathered interior, special flat-bottom steering wheel, metal pedals, and a Harman Kardon sound system. Still, for this sportiest of Regals, Buick is asking a lot of coin over the 220-hp Regal Turbo, which starts at $29,720. The automaker says the GS should be good for 27 highway miles per gallon of gas.

Buick-loyal shoppers who are more concerned about fuel economy will probably be interested in the $29,530 Regal with eAssist. (As a quick refresher from our earlier coverage, the eAssist system is a very mild hybrid setup with a small motor-generator and battery pack.) This is $2000 more expensive than an otherwise-identical non-eAssisted Regal with the same 182-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. With gas near $4, Buick says the added cost of the eAssist system will take three and a half years to recoup in fuel savings.

While the Regal eAssist’s 25-mpg-city/36-highway fuel economy rating is decent for a vehicle that weighs in at about 3600 pounds, it will face stiff competition from other efficient vehicles around the $30,000 mark. The first rival sits just across the showroom; it’s the Buick LaCrosse, which comes standard with the same eAssist system, boasts identical fuel economy numbers to those of the Regal eAssist, and is only marginally more expensive, starting at $30,820. The full-on hybrid version of the Lincoln MKZ is priced much higher, at $35,520, but does offer an EPA fuel economy rating of 41 mpg city/36 highway. In the non-hybrid, efficiency-minded, still-somewhat-premium-brand arena, a Volkswagen Passat TDI with an automatic transmission starts at $28,665 and has an EPA rating of 30/40.

We haven’t been blown away by the Regals we’ve sampled thus far—check out our review of the Regal Turbo with a manual transmission for an example—but we look forward to trying both new flavors of Regal to see if they justify their rather high asking prices. Check back soon for reviews of both.

Toyota Tweets a Closeup of the 2012 Camry’s Headlight

August 3, 2011 at 2:55pm by Alexander Stoklosa

Our spy shooters recently snagged some shots of a 2012 Toyota Camry hybrid parading around the desert in the buff, and now Toyota has Tweeted a closeup of the car’s headlight for us to peer at. The desert spy photos gave us one of our best looks yet at the next rendition of the top-seller sedan, and the hybrid model we captured sported splashes (bucketfuls?) of chrome on its front fascia and grille. The Camry in the Twitter image would appear to be a sporty SE model, given its unique full-width lower intake, foglights, mesh grille, and body-color grille surround that follow current sporty-Toyota practice.

New or not, this is the closest look yet at the Camry’s detailing. We can say that the headlight is very Acura TSX-like in its shape, and the body appears to have quite a few subtle creases stamped into it. Otherwise, though, those recent spy photos suggested there will be little about the Camry’s shape to generate excitement.

Tags: Toyota, Toyota Camry |

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Success of Fiat 500 by Gucci Begets Roofless Fiat 500C by Gucci

August 3, 2011 at 3:26pm by Alexander Stoklosa

Hot on the heels of the Fiat 500 by Gucci hatchback the Italian automaker unveiled at this year’s Geneva auto show, Fiat and Gucci have released the 500C by Gucci. The Gucci-fied cabriolet is being released to ride the “wave of the remarkable interest attracted by the 500 by Gucci.” Remarkable indeed. When Fiat revealed the Gucci 500 hatch, our biggest concern was that it was about as emasculating as a set of wheels could be—but perhaps we judged the car on the wrong terms. Since its Geneva debut, the expensive (€17,000) little hatch has apparently logged more than 3000 pre-orders, proving that buyers mustn’t be too concerned with the manliness of their Gucci 500s.

In light of the 500 by Gucci’s success, a cabrio iteration was likely a no-brainer, and Fiat and Gucci didn’t deviate much from that car’s basic recipe when whipping it up. The 500C by Gucci inherits its color choices from the hardtop version, meaning buyers can choose white with matte-finish chrome trim or black with glossy chrome accents. The Gucci 500C also wears the same body color-matched 16-inch Gucci-logo’d aluminum wheels and chrome Gucci script on the B-pillars and tailgate. The key exterior difference between the coupe and convertible Gucci 500s is the cabrio’s sliding cloth roof is embellished with the green-red-green Gucci stripe; the coupe gets the same stripe on its body sides, underneath the side glass. The Gucci C might very well be the first ragtop with stripes, and we wonder why we don’t see more patterned cloth roofs (Golf Cabriolet GTI with a plaid roof to match its seat inserts, anyone?).

The Gucci cabriolet’s interior is the same as that of the coupe’s, with Gucci striping everywhere: The seatbelts, seat inserts, shift boot, floor mats, and key fob all feature the signature red and green treatment. The 500C by Gucci will go on sale in September, and Fiat will begin taking orders for it in August. Given the Gucci 500 hatch’s popularity, we can imagine that its buyer demographic—whoever they are—will snap the €20,000 droptop right up.

The interior is the same as that of the coupe’s, with Gucci striping everywhere: the seatbelts, seat inserts, shift boot, floor mats, and key fob. The 500C by Gucci will go on sale in September, and Fiat will begin taking orders for it in August. Given the Gucci 500 hatch’s popularity, we can imagine that its buyer demographic—whoever they are—will snap the €20,000 droptop right up.

Tags: Fiat, Fiat 500, Fiat 500C, Fiat 500C by Gucci |

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2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec Diesel Tested: Return of the Oil-Burning S-class

BY EDDIE ALTERMAN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK M. HOEY
August 2011

The Mercedes-Benz S-class has more variants than any large luxury car, with powerplants ranging from a hybrid to this S350 diesel (the first supersized Benz oiler since 1995) to two twin-turbo V-8s and two twin-huffed V-12s. Throughout the vast expanse of the range, Mercedes has wisely aligned price with traditional notions of performance. For example, the S400 hybrid, at $92,275, is the cheapest Benz limo and the slowest to 60 mph; the slightly quicker $93,425 S350 BlueTec, available only in 4MATIC spec, undercuts an equivalently optioned S550 by around $4500.

The S400 hybrid’s bottom-rung pricing may be further justified by the fact that it’s a flawed vessel of Benz’s fuel-sipping aspirations, with unpredictable brake feel and a hybrid system that can’t hold a candle to some offered by competitors. But the S350 diesel is more fully realized, an oil barge that offsets its merely ample performance with outlandish torque ratings and range capability.

Powering it is Mercedes’ 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel, seen previously in the ML350 BlueTec. Here it offers more power and more torque than in the E-class—240 hp versus 210; 455 lb-ft versus 400—as more boost helps to offset the S’s extra 700 pounds.

S and E diesel acceleration comes out about even in our testing: 0–60 in 7.0 seconds (S350) to 7.2 (E350). It’s not all due to the increased output, though. The bigger car’s all-wheel-drive system (the E BlueTec is rear-wheel-drive only) contributes to the comparable launch times, even if neither Benz diesel can rev out to match the 5.3-second sprint of the last gas-powered S550 we tested. But the sebaceous V-6’s character is resolute, with the same vector-chasing determination of the S550. As in all non-AMG Benzes, throttle response is a bit deliberate, which requires patience but makes it easy to hold an even speed on the highway. A forceful incline of the diesel pedal summons churn that would twist a lesser car apart, and the extra power and torque give the S350 strong passing legs.

Learning to Let Go

All intimations of aggressiveness, however, are undone by the car’s meager grip. The S350 posts a disappointing 0.79 g on the skidpad, and brakes like a frigate, needing 181 feet to stop from 70 mph. An S400 hybrid we tested, wearing the same H-rated Michelin Pilot MXM4s, hit 0.86 g and stopped five feet shorter. The hybrid’s better mass distribution helped it in this regard, but not as much as the absence of mass itself: the hybrid S-class undercuts the diesel car by nearly 400 pounds.

Still, the diesel gets better mileage than the hybrid, giving more ammo to our argument that modern oil-burners are the smart choice for America’s long-distance demands. In its two weeks with us, the S350 returned 26 mpg to the 24 we got in the hybrid.

And even though it’s a diesel, the S350 is marginally quieter than other S-classes. At 70-mph cruise, it posts 66 dB to the 2011 S550 4MATIC’s 67; 70 dB at wide-open throttle to the 550’s 72. It’s even quieter than the hybrid. Indeed, inside the cabin, there’s nothing but subdued luxury—seemingly infinitely adjustable seats, more driver aids than you can shake a stick at, and switchgear that feels like it was milled from solid hunks of aluminum, which it was. All the S-class virtues remain, but the diesel—cheaper, smarter, and just as pleasurable to drive as any S550— brings real rationality and economy to the proceedings.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $112,605 (base price: $93,425)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 187 cu in, 2987 cc
Power (SAE net): 240 hp @ 3600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 455 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 124.6 in Length: 206.5 in
Width: 73.7 in Height: 58 in
Curb weight: 4985 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 20.1 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 4.2 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 5.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.5 sec @ 89 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 130 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 181 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA fuel economy, city/highway driving (mfr’s est): 20/31 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 26 mpg