Accelerate Mpls

2011 Audi A8

The Minneapolis Auto Show has finally arrived.  I must admit that I look forward to the show every year.  The show is not large compared to others and, in reality, many concept cars go to the larger shows and skip us.  The reason I like our show is it is local and I am on my own time.  I can go with my friends with no scheduled agenda.  The big shows like Chicago and Detroit are a lot of fun but this is just different having a show near home.

The show was busier then I expected.  I talked to quite a few people that noted how the attendance numbers were up from last year already on the second day of the show.  The economy is in a slightly better place and car sales are starting to pick up and the attendance at the show is reflecting it. I am guessing that Ford was a major sponsor this year as many new Taurus’s were strewn about outside of the entrances.  I overheard several consumers commenting on how they liked the look of the new Taurus and most didn’t even know what it was.

Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 Concept

Some of the highlights included the special edition Synergy Green Camaro and the Silverado ZR2 Concept truck from Chevrolet.  Though many General Motors concept cars were missing, I was surprised to see the Cadillac Converj concept at the Cadillac Stand.  Ford had the new 2011 Edge along with the new 2011 Fiesta Sedan.  The updated 2011 Shelby GT500 Mustang was on the show floor with the hood open and, although the doors were locked, it was what was under the hood that was important.  Audi had the mighty R8 5.2 in a copper brown color with carbon fiber side blades.

2010 Audi R8 5.2

Some things I noted about the show: BMW, Porsche Infiniti were all absent.  While a few talked about Porsche, I’m not sure anyone noticed Infiniti was gone and the largest complaint of the show that I heard was “Where’s BMW?”  I spoke with one of the local BMW dealerships and they said that their research indicates that they do not sell enough cars by being at the auto show to warrant the expense. This absence just gave the competition such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz a chance to have BMW owners sit in their cars.  Another anomaly was Nissan.  They found it important to have the GT-R with a base price of $80,790 but not to have a 370Z, which starts at $29,990.  I was told that the reason was, “That is what they sent us…”.  Not a terribly good answer in my opinion.

Ross Testing the Man Step

I personally think many manufactures should take notes more from Ford.  They have been building terrific booths at the shows lately.  They engage the consumers and have a lot to look at, and I am not just talking product.  There are interactive games such as foosball and driving simulators not to mention the computers filled with information.

Overall the show was better then last year.  With more manufacturers in attendance and consumer attendance up, the atmosphere was a bit more upbeat.  The Minneapolis Auto Show’s tag line is “Your License to Dream” and I believe that is exactly what this show did for many consumers this year and with the products coming in the next year, I am sure next year will be even better for consumers.

2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Americans have a love hate relationship with station wagons. They love to hate them. I personally have never understood this phenomenon. Most car guys will tell you they think wagons are awesome. They combine the cargo hauling versatility of a SUV with the driving dynamics of a sedan. In Europe, station wagons are sold by the truck load. European fuel prices are higher then in the United States, so they never had the love affair we Americans had with the SUV.

The CTS Sport Wagon was in development before the crash of the economy and General Motors bankruptcy. The original plan was to export the bulk of the Sport Wagons to Europe where hopefully it would be a success and directly take on the European wagons from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. Since diesels are more popular in Europe they were also going to make the main engine choice a new 2.9 liter diesel. Since those plans obviously are not going to pan out the future of the Sport Wagon will ride on the American public. The diesel engine is not being offered here unfortunately.

The Sport Wagon is truly good looking. The sharp looks and great stance are attributed to the form over function school of thought. The roof line is raked giving off the sporty appearance and stance. Combine that roofline with a raked rear hatch and you have a rear opening that can not take tall objects. The things that stand out to people that asked me about the car are the three foot long tail lights that are reminiscent of the tail fins of older Cadillacs, and the 19 inch wheels, which are optional. The tail lights are fully LED with light pipes running down the outside edge. Light pipes are also used in the headlights on the upper trim cars.

The car has many winning characteristics. The rear hatch is power operated and can be set with a knob on the drivers door to open full, 3/4, or off. This can come in handy if you have a garage with a low ceiling or possibly shorter and can not reach the hatch when fully opened. The interior is lifted directly from the CTS sedan. The Sport Wagon has a great cargo management system in the rear hatch. There is a storage bin under the floor in the rear end that can hold things from public view. With the rear seats folded flat you have an ample 58 feet of cargo space.

The interior is literally lifted from the CTS sedan. Soft touch materials abound and soft white ambient lighting at night the interior is a win. The generously sized touch screen navigation rises from the dash when the vehicle is started (when chosen to have the settings that way). The navigation unit in the Sport Wagon is hard drive based. Rendering of the map was snappy and the street names were clean and crisp. Live traffic and weather is provided through your XM satellite radio connection.

The vehicle I had was the top of the line 3.6L Premium with optional 19 inch wheel package and optional crystal red tintcoat paint. The sticker price on this car was $55,630. The Sport Wagon has a starting price of $39,830 before destination charges. The summer performance tires were replaced with snow tires from Bridgestone. The Blizzaks handled well though added some tire noise. That is to be expected of snow tires. The Sport Wagon I had was rear wheel drive though all wheel drive is optional in all trims. Also optioned on this vehicle was the FE3 sport suspension which feels very European and more specifically German.

The Sport Wagon has two engine choices. I had the optional 3.6 liter V6, which features direct injection. This larger V6 puts out 304 hp and 273 lb-ft. The standard 3.0 liter V6 also features direct injection while only putting out 270 hp and 223 lb-ft. Both the 3.6 liter and 3.0 liter are rated at 18/26 mpg. With no sacrifice in fuel mileage, I would recommend optioning for the larger engine. Both engines mate to a six speed automatic transmission. The transmission operates fine in normal driving though, it hesitates for a second to kick down a gear when the throttle is slammed for passing. Moving the shifter to the right puts the transmission in sport mode. This fixes the aforementioned problem. Downshifts are quick and up shifts are not had until red line. Much sportier dynamics are had out of the transmission in sport mode. You can also shift manually with the buttons on the back of the steering wheel or by moving the gear shift.

GM lists the competition for the Sport Wagon as the Audi A4 and A6 Avants, BMW 5 series wagon, and the Mercedes E class wagon. When looking at the competition the Cadillac is definitely class competitive. It feels right in between the A4 and A6 Avants in size. The new Sport Wagon is a great extension for the CTS line and with the coupe coming next year, the line is only going to get better. The wagon aspect adds a dash more versatility without losing the driving dynamics that make the CTS such a great vehicle. With dashing good looks and a fun to drive ratio that is surprising for a wagon, this is one Cadillac that Americans can and hopefully will love.

Full Disclosure- This vehicle was provided by General Motors press fleet for review

2011 Hyundai Sonata

The midsize sedan segment is one of the most competitive and is the largest volume class of vehicle.  The perennial kings of this segment have for a long time been the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.  The Ford Taurus once played in this segment but then faded away.  The Hyundai Sonata has been making moves and gaining market share for years now.  Each revision getting better and more refined.  Having sold over 1.2 million Sonatas, it is safe to say Hyundai is getting the swing of things.

The U.S. version of the 2011 Sonata was shown at the LA Auto show.  The car is radically different then the current generation.  With a fluid design and crisp lines, the new Sonata looks terrific.  The cars overall shape somewhat mimics the higher end Volkswagen CC four door coupe styling.  An up swept character line runs from behind the front wheel well through the door handles, and through to the top of the taillights.  The car’s overall stance is somewhat sporty and aggressive.  The rear trunk has a slight spoiler built in.  The rear tail lights look like a mash up of a BMW 3 series and the brand new 2011 Infiniti M.

The interior of this new Sonata is going more up scale.  The hvac controls are similar to those found in new Fords and Volvos.  Do not worry about the lower roofline in the rear, rear headroom has decreased by a mere 0.4 inches.  Hyundai worked with the headliner and put the rear seat cushions slightly lower to keep the headroom.  The car is actually 130 pounds lighter then the outgoing model.  Hyundai accomplished this weight decrease with the increased use of aluminum in the frame and high strength steel for some of the body parts.

Three trim levels will be available, GLS, SE, and Limited.  The SE and Limited trim levels will have a chrome grille.  The GLS model will have a body color grille.  The new Sonata will be available at launch with a one choice 2.4 liter direct injection four cylinder.  This engine will push out 198 hp and 184 lb-ft to the front wheels through either a six speed automatic or a six speed manual.  Those who opt for the SE model, which is going to be the sportier model, will get dual exhaust along with paddle shifters, and 2 more hp along with 2 more lb-ft of torque.  Hyundai did announce a turbo four cylinder and a hybrid model are both coming but did not release details.  No V6 is being offered (for now).  Hyundai was heard saying the V6 in midsize cars will go the way of the dinosaur.  While final numbers are not in yet, Hyundai expects the Sonata to be rated at 23/35 mpg with the automatic transmission.  That is 2-4 mpg better then the competition.

So what just happened?  Well Hyundai is setting the stage to try and over take the crown from Toyota and Honda in the midsize segment.  With a base price under $20,000, the new Sonata just became the best value and fuel efficient non hybrid in the midsize class. Pretty much, when no one was looking Hyundai got serious.  Your move Toyota and Honda.

This week, episode 4 discusses the week in review on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  We first briefly discuss the Ford Fiesta technical debriefing that I attended last week.  Our conversation moved on to the all new 2011 BMW 5 Series and the new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe.  We use the introduction of the new 2010 Lexus GX460 to transition into our last topic, a report card on the current Toyota/Lexus situation.

Download this episode (right click and save)

Download this episode (right click and save)

On Tuesday evening Carousel Porsche had a private unveiling of the new for 2010 Panamera sedan. This is the first sedan from Porsche and boy did they work hard on this. The sedan has been the center of a lot of controversy both during development and during the launch. The car is all new for Porsche, a true sedan with a front mounted engine and rear or all wheel drive. Featuring a once choice transmission of the new PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) which is Porsche’s dual clutch transmission. True Porsche fans were devastated when the Cayenne was launched as the first SUV in the history of Porsche. The purists said it was too far from true Porsche roots. Truth of the matter is that in the right iteration the Cayenne is every bit a Porsche, well as much as a SUV could be. Funny thing happened though, the Cayenne became the best selling Porsche. The Panamera is again having the purists again crying and saying a four door sedan is can not be a true Porsche.

The front view of the Panamera is great looking. The styling department really put a lot of Porsche DNA in the front end. Looking like a over sized 911, you can see the family resemblance right away. The rear styling is what has people both car aficionados and non a buzz. The rear…well some have called it a hunch back some call it plain ugly. I will say this, in person it truly does look a lot better then in pictures. I can definitely see Porsche DNA in the rear and it is growing on me, though I still would not call its svelte. Function definitely won over form here. A six foot adult will feel more then comfortable for a cross country jaunt in the back. That will not be the case for one of the main competitors the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide. The Rapide has a more form over function approach to the rear seat occupants which limits the rear headroom and legroom. Porsche wanted no compromises inside the Panamera and boy did they win on that note.

The interior is just gorgeous. Yes it is true, there are a lot of buttons on the center console but they are all grouped together by what they control so it is quite easy to learn where each is if you break it up into quadrants. The car is swathed with leather all over the place and the seats are definitely up to keeping you planted while putting down the power. Speaking of power you have two engine choices both featuring direct injection. The base engine is a 4.8 liter V8 putting out 400 hp and 369 lb-ft and if that is not enough power you can step up to the same engine with twin turbos slapped onto it and that will bring power up to 500 hp and 516 lb-ft. The base car is rear wheel drive and has a base price of $89,800 while stepping up to the 4S model that features all wheel drive will set you back $93,800. The twin turbo, the range topping model which only comes in all wheel drive, starts at $132,600. I took a quick test drive in both a regular Panamera 4S and a 4S model that had the sport package which featured both active suspension and dual mode exhaust. Both drives were very short but there is no question this car is a true Porsche. Check the video below for my initial driving impressions. Stay tuned for a first drive review in the near future.

2010 5-Series Gran Turismo

On Friday night Motorwerks BMW in Minneapolis had a private unveiling of the all new for 2010 5-Series Gran Turismo.  The car was a prototype build and thus was not for sale.

Unveiling

The car will be an all new model for BMW when it arrives on this side of the Atlantic in the spring.  Riding on the 7-Series platform this car is truly large.  The rear seats can move fore and aft to increase rear leg room or rear storage.  The rear end features a trick hatch/tailgate that can be opened two ways.  In trunk mode the rear will open with a stubby trunk lid and the inside of the car is still sealed not letting heat or cool air in or out.  For larger items the rear can be opened in hatch mode where the whole rear end opens and is more exposed to the elements.

Rear opened in trunk configuration

Rear opened in hatch configuration

Styling of the 5-Series Gran Turismo foreshadows the upcoming all new 2010 5-Series.  The interior is probably close to a spot on copy of the next generation 5-Series while the exterior front is close and the rear obviously the styling will be slightly different adapted for a sedan.  The styling is obviously reflective of the new 7-Series with a blunt front end and BMW double kidney grills.  I over heard many people excited about this car and I am sure it will be a huge hit for BMW.  The fact is there is no real direct competitor currently.  This is a whole new niche that, for the moment BMW has all to itself.  I am sure that will not last long and the long awaited and rumored Audi A7 could end up being a direct hatchback competitor.  This car is already had a few reviews done on it in Europe and the one thing that kept coming up was the frameless windows.  Without full door frames wind noise at high speeds or even highway speeds could seep into the cabin.  I will have to wait for a road test to see how that is dealt with but it is something of note.  Price is not finalized at this time though I heard numbers of around or over $65k being thrown around quite a bit in the crowd though that is just hearsay definitely not legitimate numbers given by BMW.  Stay tuned for a road test in the future of this segment bending vehicle.

This Saturday EuroCars will be hosting their annual OktoberFest.  They have a few rare cars among their already nice inventory.  Notable cars that will be in the showroom include a Noble M400, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, a tricked out Acura NSX, and an Audi S8 and a Porsche 911 C4S.  Along with these they also carry other European (and Japanese) makes and models that will be on hand and for sale.  More then just cars, this event will have authentic German food, beer, and other assorted beverages.  They will be giving away Minnesota Vikings tickets and car detailing packages during the event.  Attendance is free and I think it will be a good time for all.  Bring the family and take a stroll through the showroom while eating some great food and meeting new people.

Once a month a magical event called Cars & Café where car guys gather to gawk at cars and drink coffee.  On the first Saturday of the month from early spring to late fall this event is held at the Auto MotorPlex in Chanhassen, MN.  Normally 400 to 500 cars show up with some being on site already stored in garages.  There are set parking assignments based on the cars origin.  This month’s event happened to be a mere 49 degrees and drizzling rain.  This is not the opportune weather for such a event and because of that the turn out was closer to 100 cars then 500.  I heard people calling the turn out everything from “weak” to “terrible”.  I personally was happy even with 100 cars though obviously would have preferred 500.

Parking Assignment Diagram

Ford Mustang with the BMW identity crisis

There are a good variety of cars that show up to this event and this month’s was no different.  Everything from the Ford Mustang with the BMW identity crisis to the Porsche with the Chevrolet small block V8 with supercharger as the engine.  Nothing truly seemed out of the ordinary here.  Coffee and doughnuts were provided by the sponsors.  I even caught Kevin Tan, pulling in.  Kevin owns the new European automotive shop in town called Imola Motorsports.  Also of note, Imola Motorsports is one of the various sponsors of Cars & Café.  Many of the garages at the complex are dreamy to say the least.  With car lifts, full kitchens in some, not to mention they are fully customizable to suit the owner.  The Auto Motorplex is one sweet place to be.  My buddy brought his Honda S2000 and I took our 1990 Nissan 300zx.  Of course the cold drizzle and sloppy roads made all the cars quite a mess once at the event.

Porsche with Chevrolet small block engine and supercharger

Blue on Blue Ferrari

Free and open to the public you do not even need to own a car worthy of being shown.  Many people come to be around car guys and look at the cars.  Parking is available right outside the gates.  The people that come whether with a car to show or not, are everything from the true car enthusiasts to people that just like to look at cool cars not to mention kids.  The first Saturday of November will be the last one for the 2009 season weather depending.  Between the coffee and the cars you should definitely check out Cars & Café.  My guess is with the weather the way it was today I will be done for this season.  Until next years Cars & Café……

My father and my 300zx with my buddies S2000

My buddy in his S2000 with his 1 ticket and 4 warnings on the way home...priceless

Pantera

DeLoreans

Note- For all the pictures check out my Flickr stream. My Flickr Stream

2010 Audi S4

First a confession. When I first got wind that Audi would be using a supercharged V6 in the next generation S4 instead of the throaty 4.2 V8, I was nervous. I was wrong. The S4 took the year off in 2009 while Audi launched the new A4 on the new B8 platform. The B8 platform moves the front axle farther forward making for a better weight distribution and a shorter front over hang. The new S4 is larger and faster then the previous generation all while being more fuel efficient.

As with all Audi’s, the interior of this new S4 is gorgeous. The materials are soft touch and are executed well. The S4 I drove while not fully loaded had some nice options including the navigation package, genuine silk nappa leather, Bang & Olufsen sound system, carbon atlas interior and sprint blue pearl effect paint. The Bang & Olufsen sound system is well worth the $850. The stereo had two SD card slots to play music off of. The space used for the SD card slots could be utilized for something more worth while like buttons for radio presets. Instead you have to go through menus using the MMI interface to get to the presets, this is somewhat cumbersome. That said, the third generation MMI system is more user friendly and better to use then previous generations. The navigation system is hard drive based which means it will move faster through menus without lag and also allows you to load your personal music on a portion of the hard drive. The genuine silk nappa leather seats that were two tone black and silver. The sport seats hug your body in all the right places and are bolstered well. S4 badges are strewn about the cabin tastefully to remind you, that you are indeed in something special.

The new supercharged V6 has 7 less HP then the old V8, but puts out 22 Lb-Ft more torque. Making the new 2010 S4 faster 0-60. The 2010 S4 has a supercharged V6 pumping out 333 HP, and 325 Lb-Ft through the legendary Quattro all wheel drive system. The Quattro system in the S4 has a 40/60 split front to rear power ratio. Optional is a new sport differential in the back which can vary torque from side to side in the rear. This helps with under steer and over steer when going through corners by pushing the power to the outside rear wheel. In operation, the sport differential works similarly to the system in the Acura’s with SH-AWD. The car I test drove had the standard 6 speed manual transmission. A 7 speed dual clutch transmission called Sport-tronic is optional. With the 6 speed manual 60 comes in at 4.9 seconds. Also available is Audi’s Drive Select package which allows the driver to customize the steering, suspension, and acceleration characteristics. The S4 I drove was not equipped with Drive Select so I could not give feedback on this option. The gas milage has improved with the new engine going from 13/19 in the previous generation S4 to 18/27 in the new S4.

The waters run deep in this vehicle segment and the new S4 is bringing its A-game for sure. It is no secret that the arch nemesis of the S4 is BMW’s 335i which is now available with all wheel drive as the 335i xDrive. We also can not forget the other German crosstown rival, the Mercedes C350. Both of the main competitors are less expensive, which people will ask then how is the S4 a true competitor. You have to look at the whole picture. While yes cross town rivals are less expensive they are also less powerful. Which begs the question are they really a better value? If you are paying more for the Audi and getting more then really it is a fair game. The price difference between the BMW 335i xDrive and the S4 is around $2,000 which in this price bracket is not a huge difference.

The new S4 is not perfect though the few items of question are easily forgotten once you start driving. When you look at the competition the S4 is definitely king of the hill. The new S4 starts with a base price of $45,900 before destination, while the one I drove with select options had a sticker price of $52,050. The main item to take away from this, is the new S4 is leaps and bounds better then the previous generation. Everything from the chassis to the interior is new and improved, it shows. The car truly spoke to me. It fit in all the right places and truly is a drivers car. I will leave you with this, it is rare I will walk out of a car and say “WOW I truly connected with that car”.