auto-future

Volvo C30 (Electric) Crash Test

2010-06-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Crash test footage showing how the batteries are kept safe.

EV Future: Renault Fluence Z.E. concept car

2010-02-04T03:31:00.001-08:00

A closer look at the electric fluence concept car. This one of the cars that Renault will actually put on sale. Although probably a bit toned down.

EV Future: BMW Active E

2010-01-06T08:25:00.001-08:00

Some video footage of a new concept car by BMW. But a very important concept since BMW is serious about it and will sell a similar vehicle based on the next generation 1-series.

Ford Focus IV

2009-12-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

Autocar magazine recently made an article about the Ford Focus III that we will meet in some weeks time. However, the magazine presented the CGI that you can see below. It is not consistent with existing information about the Focus III but the design could well be a future 4th generation Ford Focus. At least I like it!

Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT)

2009-12-03T06:07:00.001-08:00

Silly name, ugly car, but yet another hint at the future of city cars.

EV Future: Nissan Land Glider Concept

2009-10-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

This is electric, of course. We are already well into the 21st century, it's time to start driving 21st century cars.

Gran Turismo 5 - Toyota FT-86 Concept Video

2009-10-07T01:54:00.001-07:00

Finally! So it will be for real and gorgeous.

EV Future: Renault press conference

2009-09-22T02:22:00.001-07:00

Renault presented some strange EV concepts in Frankfurt. But the interesting feature is that all of them are related to future real vehicles on sale.

EV Future: PEUGEOT BB1

2009-09-15T06:49:00.001-07:00

This is so cool! But it's just a concept, for now. However, it is the sort of thing one could expect from a company that makes both cars and scooter bikes. But I suspect BMW will be first in the market with something similar.

EV Future: Nissan LEAF

2009-08-03T02:24:00.001-07:00

A real EV for the masses. A real car that people can buy (in 2011). I don't find it very pretty but still I'm very happy.

EV Future: Pre-Production Volts

2009-07-31T02:12:00.001-07:00

It's really nice to see these prototypes being built in the factory. Hopefully soon we ill see the Volt on sale.

EV future: Lotus electric city car

2009-07-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

This is just a concept but the video presents an interesting discussion.

Chevrolet Volt

2009-07-10T01:54:00.000-07:00

This is not a very good picture but it is important. Because it shows the Volt in a production line testing manufacturing issues. The important thing now is that GM makes this car and sell it to the public. And hopefully, working as advertised.

Aston Martin Cygnet

2009-07-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

The image below is relevant to a news piece that is not new anymore. But the thing is I simply did not believe at the time that Aston Martin would rebadge a Toyota iQ and sell it to the public.

I really don't know what to say. This might not be such a bad idea, it's what's behind this move that is worrying. Fact is, Aston Martin could not engineer a car like the iQ if they wanted. This is related to another evidence: Aston Martin is limiting its development efforts to evolving the platform basis left by Ford. And some of their “new” design ideas, such as the Lagonda concept are questionable at best…

This lack of development muscle and presentation of strange ideas reminds me of what happened with Rover when BMW left the brand on their own.

EV Future: Renault electric cars

2009-07-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Nissan-Renault are some of the manufacturers more serious about their EV future. With clear indications of availability, timeline and cost prospects. One of their latest pieces is this image showing Renault EVs for the next years.

Audi A5 sportback

2009-06-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

This elegant vehicle is really a hatchback. So it's for folks that want the 4-door coupe look but with more practicality. Well, in reality it is for people that can't quite stretch the extra 5k€ or so that the original Mercedes CLS costs. But for a Audi copy it looks really nice.

2010 Opel Zafira

2009-06-23T04:03:00.001-07:00

The image below shows a possible interpretation of the next Opel Zafira. It looks too much like a station but then maybe Opel goes for a lower MPV... don't think so.

One interesting bit is the front design, a new boomerang concept presented in the Insignia-Concept and series production Insignia OPC. It looks really nice so one wonders why it is not available in the regular Insignia and new Astra... these cars have a really bland front design. Maybe one can expect in future restylings to see that boomerang feature spread to the rest of the Opel range.

2011 Peugeot 408

2009-06-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

The image below is from L'Auto-Journal and it is consistent with information from other sources. It seems the design of the 408 is finally frozen after some last minute changes by Peugeot's new design boss. And from the look of things and his latest designs at Citroen it seems that Peugeot now needs less help than before.

Inside the new car should look really nice judging be recent Peugeot interiors. The French brand has managed to apply some Audi magic in making interiors look really nice in the photograph and first impression. The fact that real quality is or not top standard does not seem to bother Audi customers so Peugeot is not worried also.

2010 Opel Astra video

2009-06-17T08:54:00.001-07:00

This is rather silly...

EV Future: iMiEV Mitsubishi

2009-06-09T02:43:00.001-07:00

The new EV from Mitsubishi undergoing testing. This car is now in series production. Why I'm not enthusiastic about it?... because it's still just for selected fleet sales. I will make a big party when this thing is actually available for everyone to buy.

BMW X1

2009-06-08T03:35:00.001-07:00

This car will be a great success. People love SUVs and if BMW can make it more fuel efficient than the competition... and they will.

The other Citroen DS4

2009-06-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

According to L'Auto-Journal the Citroen DS4 could also be a "premium" compact hatchback, as previewed in the image below. This one certainly looks nice but I believe the 4-door coupe alternative would have more chances of success: the premium hatchback market is becoming crowded for Citroen to play...

The future of the DS

2009-06-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

The future of this strategy by Citroen will be linked to the commercial success and profitability of the first 3 models. Several cars could appear covering, at the limit, the “Distinctive” market of every segment.

The success of the Distinctive Series could also encourage this kind of spin-off by other companies. One such example is the Alpine brand that we know Renault has considered several times to bring back to market in recent years. It could be a great spin-off for sportier and more luxury cars by Renault and without much investment cost in a new brand since Alpine is truly iconic. But we wonder what would be the role for Infinity in the European market… and anyway, it seems Renault should be more worried about their regular cars as things stand today.

Regarding other future DS models one could expect, for example, a cabrio version of the Citroen C5, previewed by the gorgeous C5-Airscape concept below. The future electric car of the PSA group could also be presented as a DS model in the Citroen range, although everyone knows such car is in reality a Mitsubishi. So then, maybe not!

Citroen DS5

2009-06-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is another model that has been sort of confirmed by Citroen. It will actually arrive in the market before the DS4. The Citroen DS5 is a “New Crossover”. The interested reader might want to recall what the “New Crossover” is here and here, for example.

The DS5 is a Citroen Picasso modified for premium appeal in the spirit of the Distinctive Series. Some of its main features can also be found in the new BMW 5-series GT, namely the “lounge” feel: personalized and relaxing luxury in a contemporary design. What does that mean?... I don’t know, I have been reading information from the press-release of the 5-series GT it’s full of crap like this.

Citroen DS4

2009-06-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

According to different French sources one of the future DS models is the DS4 previewed below. It’s a 4-door coupe but one or two sizes smaller than the pioneer Mercedes CLS. So it’s based on the platform used for the next Citroen C4. The design in the CGI looks fantastic but the new car has a major challenge to face: usually 4-door cars of that size look like crap… so can Citroen execute a smaller 4-door coupe properly? I believe they can.

The reader might wonder why doesn’t Citroen make a 4-door coupe based on the C5 model. Fact is the wonderful Citroen C5 already looks a bit like a 4-door coupe and that’s part of its charm. But also it seems Citroen believes it can have more success in pushing a more premium sub-brand based on the smaller cars where Citroen has a more solid market position.

Citroen DS series

2009-06-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

The image below shows the production version of the Citroen DS3. This car is kind of a upmarket version of the next Citroen C3. The purpose of this article and the next ones is to analyze a bit what Citroen is trying to do with this new DS range of cars. Yes, a range, or more specifically, a sub-brand since we will see more DS models from the French brand.

So why is Citroen creating a sub-brand or a series of particular models under the DS name? By the way, DS means “Distinctive Series”, an appropriate designation for this distinctive approach. The main point here is that Citroen is looking for more profit. Since they can’t sell their conventional cars for much more money than today because Citroen is just another mainstream brand like Renault or Volkswagen, they try to market a new range of cars that are more special and more… distinctive. Therefore the Citroen DS models will sell for a bit more money, are expected to appeal to people that spend more on optional extras and even personalize the car, according to the first configurators shown by Citroen. All of this is expected to bring more profit than the bread and butter models.

However, creating a new brand or even just a sub-brand is not an easy task and should require a massive investment. But the good people at PSA were smart enough to use an iconic model designation associated to the Citroen DS from the 60s of last century. So the Distinctive Series gets an iconic help from Citroen’s past. Well played, I think Citroen is on a good path here.

In order to assess the success of this strategy one must understand that it is not expected these new cars to be best-sellers. The best thing Citroen can have is to pay the investment in the new series, improve brand awareness and image and establish a new path that brings consistent profit in the future.

The first model seen below is not even the most interesting of the new range of DS models. It falls in a new category that also includes the Alfa Romeo Mito and future Audi models: the MINI-wannabe class. But the DS3 should do well: the design is interesting, cute and “bourgeoise”. And the interior is a highly personalized class act. In following articles we will look at other future DS models that are more interesting than this first iteration.

Citroen DS Inside Concept - Interior Detailed

2009-06-01T00:54:00.001-07:00

Starting the Citroen DS week with a video of the first iteration: the DS3.

EV Future: Nissan Electric Vehicle Prototype

2009-05-29T08:35:00.001-07:00

A nice video showing the Nissan EV prototype and some usefull information. Counting down for series production.

EV Future: Citroen Ev'ie by The Electric Car Corporation

2009-05-28T05:56:00.001-07:00

This car (conversion) is actually on sale now, in England! And it's a real car with proper safety features and practicality.

It makes one wonder how it would be if made by Citroen... what are car manufacturers waiting for?!

EV Future: 2011 Nissan EV

2009-05-27T02:27:00.000-07:00

Nissan has been showing their EV prototype to selected journalists and also presenting more info about the future car. The images below are from their technical presentations and reveal a bit more about the real car that will be on sale in 2010-2011, hopefully to individuals and not just company fleets…

So the car will be a conventional 5-seater with batteries under the floor and adequate luggage space. It also appears that the design of the front section will make good use of the smaller space required by the electric motor inverter and related stuff. This is really interesting because it suggests the future design evolution of automobiles and technical architectures resulting from the different packaging of electric cars.

2011 BMW PAC (or 3 series GT)

2009-05-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

The CGI below is from Autozeitung and shows a possible interpretation of a “New Crossover” by BMW, the 5-series GT equivalent of the next 3-series family. An important feature of the new car that is apparent in the CGI and confirmed by internal sources is that the 3 series GT will be an hatchback with a more complex rear section than the 5-series GT… I don’t know quite well how to explain this, but the design will feature more creases and surfaces in order to make it more err… complex. Thus it will not look just like a big hatchback as with the 5-series GT.

The rest of the car will be about classical BMW over-engineering and class leading fuel efficiency. And it will be more expensive than a 3-series touring but cheaper than a X3.

2011 Lexus compact

2009-05-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Reports have surfaced on the possibility of a 1-series fighter from Lexus for the European market. This has even had a sort of official confirmation… One must consider why Lexus is trying to fight in this competitive market, but the premium hatchback, and compact cars and derivatives are a growing segment in Europe. So I guess it makes sense for Lexus to bring a 1-series competitor.

However, in order to achieve success Lexus must consider a few things: the new car must have several diesel engines. The BMW 116D starts at as low as about 115hp… Same thing with petrol engines and preferably with turbo versions. And of course, the new Prius powertrain would fit really well in such car, preferably with plug-in availability.

Small problem though: the luxury compact can not be a FWD Toyota Auris derivative. I mean, it could be, but then Lexus should really study Audi’s marketing techniques… The real compact luxury Lexus should be based on a shortened RWD IS platform.

2011 Ford Focus wish list

2009-05-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

This was sent by a reader:

Hello David,
I enjoyed your articles about the Ford Focus but I think that to have more success the new car should improve some items. In my 2005 Focus tdci the floor carpet does not cover the whole area underneath the glove box. Ford shouldn’t be so cheap about those details.

And that is an important detail, I must add. But I’m showing this message because the statcounter software that provides feedback on the statistics of this blog is quite powerful and says to me that people from Ford actually read this joint. I kid you not!

So please Ford, take care of the complaint from the reader and while we are at a wish list session: please make the rear of the new car look like in the image below, that would be perfect.

Audi Q5 and its real competitors?

2009-05-14T03:37:00.001-07:00

Well indeed, since Audi makes cars using parts and engines from Skodas and Seats it kind of makes sense to pitch the Q5 against mainstream America SUVs...

Discussion on the next Ford Focus III rear design

2009-05-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

Currently there is no reliable information available on the rear design of the next global Ford Focus. A recent photoshop, pictured below, shows an interpretation with horizontal rear lights, as opposed to the vertical units found in the current and first generation versions. This artist impression is probably influenced by the recent Iosis-MAX concept. This blog post discusses why the Focus should keep the vertical design of the rear light-cluster and other design features.

Ford should understand that they are on the verge of greatness with the next Ford Focus. If they play their cards right, in a couple of years the Focus can be the best-selling car in its class in the world. For two reasons: One is that the Focus still has progression space in the European market and can gain market share there. It can not be the best selling car in Europe for obvious reasons, related to the size of the German market and their natural patriotism. But considering that the Focus is currently ranking number two in its segment despite its age, and that the new and very kinetic Fiesta is storming the market, I would say that with the right design the Focus can gain some more market share in Europe. Second reason is that being a global car the new Focus will sell very well in the USA. And if the economy recovers we can expect another spike in oil prices that will renew the recent love of Americans for smaller cars. So in conclusion, if Ford applies its kinetic design in the right way the Focus III will become the best selling compact car in the world. And we know the design part is good… so good that in focus groups for the NA market the response was “out of the ordinary”.

But, then why the insistence with the vertical rear lights? Because, in my opinion, the next Focus can be more than a best-seller: it can become a new icon. At this point we should remember the formidable list of accomplishments by Ford of Europe with the Focus model. The first generation marked a huge gap against the previous Escort, added a distinctive and fresh design that aged very well, but its biggest achievement was the superior multilink rear suspension. It destroyed the competition in the handling department and forced the best concurrence to a radical inverse engineering process that included some aggressive head-hunting… The Focus II did not score so high in the design department, brought more maturity in the interiors but still kept some design features like the rear vertical light-cluster, the third window in the C-pillar while adding a bit more coupe-ish shape. The restyling brought a much needed kinetic design infusion but the most important accomplishment is very recent: the Focus RS. The best FWD car on the planet!

Keeping some of the major design elements, such as the rear shape and vertical rear lights, while adding the kinetic design and the distinctive trapezoidal grille will contribute to raise the Focus III to new heights. If the market responds accordingly Ford will have more than a best seller, Ford will have a new icon. That would be a good thing, because icons are more profitable.

Forf Focus 2011

2009-05-07T03:45:00.000-07:00

Just a new CGI from autoweek.nl site. It looks like the sort of design that could work well in Europe and in the United States. However it does not show the rear design which could mark a change in relation to the current model.

The article mentions hybrid and electric versions. Everyone is considering hybrids at this stage but I wonder what Ford is doing in the pure electric version. We know it is supposed to be just for the american market and will have technical input from Magna. But will it be manufactured in big numbers or is it just for selected fleets?

EV Future: the advantages of plug-in hybrids

2009-05-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

The table shows it all. It is from a MIT study of the cars of 2035. The auto-future.

EV Future: technical bits of the Mitsubishi iMiEV

2009-04-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

Some nice info about a car that we can buy next year... hopefully.

2010 Ford C-Max

2009-04-29T07:32:00.001-07:00

The picture shows a test mule of the next Ford C-Max. The car is schedulled for presentation in Frankfurt show so it seems that Ford should be testing prototypes by now... and they are, according to our info source. But not in public roads yet.

The other interesting bit about the image is that it seems the next Focus platform can have different wheelbases for different versions within the Focus range.

The C-Max will arrive first in a new 7-seat version and later as a more sportier 5-seater with a profile similar to the Iosis Max concept, minus the wings.

Sniffpetrol

2009-04-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to remind the readers about the best site in the world, if one excludes sites related to free quality-porn. Sniffpetrol is in great shape and now also with twitter. BTW, their twitter thing is frequently updated with stuff that means nothing, a must follow.

What's up with the Audi billboard thing?

2009-04-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Last week Audi was in the news because of a billboard advert making a strike at BMW. BMW bothered to answer, which is kind of strange... Here in Europe we don't have that kind of negative advertising, which is a good thing.

Anyway, the billboard episode put Audi in the spotlight and got us thinking about luxury wannabe brands, real luxury brands, marketing, perceived luxury, that sort of things. And bum, here is a billboard manifesto, courtesy of auto-future. Mind you, we will make more...

2010 BMW 5-series

2009-04-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

The image below is not of good quality, just a magazine scan. But it is important, with all the available photoshops of the next 5-series, because it shows a reliable interpretation of the rear section and lights. This according to inside sources. For the rest we can expect typical BMW over-engineering and the rich interiors we know and love from the new 7-series and X5/X6. Modern and cohesive design plus visually-rich interiors are a good improvement in relation to some recent BMW models. Add the leadership in efficient design technology and the new E-class Mercedes soon starts to look old. Well, it already looks old right now.

Alfa Romeo 169

2009-04-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is just a CGI of the future? Alfa Romeo 169. The question mark signals doubts if there is a market for this car... this is a shrinking segment for cars that are not from one small elite of brands. Is Alfa romeo part of that elite?

2011 Audi A6

2009-04-14T03:21:00.000-07:00

The CGI below is the work of theophiluschin based on the Audi A7 sportback concept. It shows a possible interpretation of the next A6. Mind you, why not check his site for some cool photoshop jobs.

The interesting bits about the next A6 are technical and not yet fully confirmed. A source has hinted that the next A6 will have an evolution of the ASF (Aluminum Spaceframe) structure that is found in the A8 model. Other sources, namely mainstream magazines, speak of a steel structure as in the current A6 and A4 with the adoption of the MLP (Modular Longitudinal Platform). The MLP part is probably true but the aluminium structure also makes sense, in part because weight reduction is now an important trend in the auto industry. Furthermore my source is recent and is not yet fully tested, if you know what I mean… So I guess time will tell.

Other than that one can expect the usual range of parts shared with Seat and Skoda models, carefully hidden behind a modern exterior and an interior carefully designed to appear as quality in images. That ASF structure would be good to add a bit more credibility.

EV Future: Segway P.U.M.A. concept

2009-04-09T02:16:00.000-07:00

The image shows a preview of a future production version of the PUMA. Much better looking than the prototype. These things have to look like something from Apple, they can't look like glorified wheelchairs like the concept.

But a lot of rethinking has to go into cities in order to adopt a fleet of PUMAs. Maybe they could be viable in areas closed to cars. In such situation the PUMA or similar personal mobility vehicles could complement the public transport system.

EV Future: Project P.U.M.A.

2009-04-08T08:49:00.001-07:00

This is the PUMA thing, a GM-Segway collaboration for a 2-seat urban transporter. It looks quite dorky in prototype shape but at the end of the video it shows a preview of a possible production version.

The final version is wider to accomodate well 2 persons, the prototype is very tight. The video also hints at the need for changes in cities to embrace this type of concept. It seems difficult for this kind of vehicle to share roads with normal cars and it is too big for sidewalks.

This is another concept of personal mobility, like several others mainly from toyota. It will be interesting to check how they progress and of course, these could be important possibilities for the electrification of transportation.

2010 Audi RS3

2009-04-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

It seems the Focus RS will have company soon in the exclusive uber-hatchback category. Audi is developing the RS version of the A3 model, using the engine from the TT-RS: a 5-cylinder turbo with about 340hp, maybe a bit less in the RS3. This is great news because 5-cylinder engines are ideal for these cars, bringing huge power, a formidable soundtrack, while not making nose-heavy cars as if V6 engines were used. Furthermore the RS3 should have a brilliant design: the current S3 is already a class act. I also would prefer the RS3 to the TT-RS because the TT is more suited for persons who like handbags…

The use of turbocharged 5-cylinder engines in the uber-hatchback class makes all the difference. But, although the RS3 will probably top the Focus RS in power, the Ford model will still retain a very special title: the best FWD car on the planet. This means the Audi RS3 will probably use the Haldex AWD system from the TT-RS.

2010 Ford Focus III

2009-04-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Guess what, so much stuff on the Focus RS and now autoexpress presentes a new CGI and info about next generation Focus. Let's check what they say: "Meet the most desirable family car ever! This striking machine is about to rewrite the hatchback rulebook, with a stunning combination of head-turning looks, driver appeal and up-to-the-minute technology. Say hello to Ford’s next-generation Focus". Typical autoexpress nonsense.

The CGI also does not seem a Huckfeldt job, it's a very bad one, but raises one interesting point: will the Focus III keep the signature vertical tailights or will it adopt the horizontal design presented in the Iosis MAX concept? Could the horizontal theme be reserved for the next C-Max and the Focus keep vertical units? Maybe some reader knows... I think they should keep the vertical theme for several different reasons, but already wrote more than the usual on this story...

The future of the Focus RS

2009-03-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

Despite all the game-changing attributes of the Focus RS we suspect that, had the economic crisis arrived a bit earlier or the development process took some more months, this fantastic car might have been cancelled. And therefore we also suspect that Ford might not be considering a future replacement at this stage. Please don’t do such thing, the future of the Focus RS should be approached in a “911 style”.

The 911 reference is obviously a Porsche inspiration and on how the 911 changes through generations with evolutionary changes. This approach is critical in order to keep low development and investment costs and assure that the legend continues… building the icon! So the next RS should be approved right now and a cheap development program prepared based on the next generation Focus. We can think of some evolutionary improvements: more refinement, some weight reduction, engine upgrade (possibly with direct injection), eventually the availability of a dual-clutch gearbox. We were thinking of adding AWD to the list… but now that Ford built the best FWD car on the planet it seems appropriate to continue being such reference. As long as Ford keeps building and developing the Focus RS, the auto industry might have produced a new icon.

Focus RS - another fan video

2009-03-31T09:19:00.001-07:00

Another video from some fan checking the press launch. Wonderfull exhaust sound from the best FWD car in the planet.

Ford Focus RS on the Nürburgring

2009-03-31T08:51:00.001-07:00

French Sport-Auto managed 8:10 in the Nurburgring. The car should work well there with the huge power and aero-package.

Ford Focus RS - hooligans

2009-03-31T08:11:00.001-07:00

Watch out for some hooligan behaviour... but some nice shots in green and blue.

Focus RS - fan ride

2009-03-31T08:01:00.001-07:00

You can see this is a special car when fans gather around the press launch for a closer look. This guy got a ride with a journalist and made this drool video.

Focus RS Danish test

2009-03-31T05:49:00.001-07:00

I can't understand a word... but they show the RS in my favourite colour.

And here's the science

2009-03-31T05:39:00.001-07:00

We have been watching the effects, this is the science:

Ford Focus RS - Impressions in "Frozen White"

2009-03-31T04:04:00.001-07:00

This one in white would look even better with a dark panoramic roof. Or better yet, a carbon roof as in the BMW M3.

Ford Focus RS First Drive [Drivers Republic]

2009-03-31T03:55:00.001-07:00

Another review. In a green unit, I hate this color. But listen carefully to Chris Harris...

Ford Focus RS driven

2009-03-31T03:30:00.001-07:00

Let's start with Steve Sutcliff from Autocar. He is a reference journalist and a serious guy, hear what he has to say. The car here is white, very nice and sounding great.

Ford Focus RS day

2009-03-31T02:59:00.000-07:00

Today auto-future is celebrating that we were wrong about the new Focus RS. The reader might remember one article about the Revocknuckle where besides describing the technology that would be made available in the new uber-Focus I expressed serious scepticism that such technology would eliminate torque steer in a 300hp FWD car.

But Ford proved me wrong. Not only the Focus RS puts all that power efficiently with the help of a limited slip front differential and controlled torque in the first gears but, according to the first reviews, it nearly eliminates torque steer effect. Better yet, some reviewers point out that the feedback that is still felt in the steering wheel adds another layer to a magnificent driving experience. On top of that one should notice a serious ride quality and a formidable engine sound. It’s great to have this car and the new Audi TT RS to remind us how fantastic 5-cylinder engines can sound.

So today is a celebration day, besides celebrating that auto-future was wrong we are celebrating a breakthrough in automotive technology. Ford moved the game in a serious manner, proving that one can have a 300hp FWD car with great traction, great steering feedback, fantastic handling and still a very good ride quality. This is Focus RS day.

EV Future: Lexus 2054

2009-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

The image below shows one of my favourite EVs, the Lexus 2054 from the movie Minority Report. It’s a great design and one that fully uses the advantages of a full EV architecture allowing for a different design and great use of interior space.

The interesting part of the Lexus 2054 is that we don’t have to wait for year 2054 to drive a similar vehicle. The first generation of mass-market electric vehicles arrives in the first-half of the next decade so I guess a second generation of vehicles with in-wheel electric motors and a design similar to the Lexus EV could arrive around 2020. So definitely reality will beat science fiction on the future electric vehicle.

Opel Calibra

2009-03-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

According to Autozeitung magazine, Opel is developing a coupe version of the next Astra. The novelty here is that the new car will adopt a more separate design and a new name, probably Calibra, in order to establish a tie with a sort of iconic model. This is not a new strategy as witnessed recently with VW and the Scirocco model, although I think that the Golf nameplate is today more iconic than the Scirocco. But it works nicely allowing to ask a premium for the derivative version and the Scirocco is indeed a fine car.

The technical bits of the new Calibra are predictable being based on the new Astra model. This is actually not a good thing if the Astra does not receive a multilink suspension at the rear. The Calibra nameplate deserves more technical excellence than a torsion beam. But then, this is a Opel so I guess one should not expect technical excellence.

Seat Ibiza break

2009-03-24T03:30:00.001-07:00

Here it is, trying to look better than the car, which is an easy task... and yet it fails and looks even worse!

The thing is going to be named "sport-something". Sportacky, perhaps?

EV Future: 2010 Mitsubishi i MiEV

2009-03-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

A small video on the i MiEV. This is the one that will also arrive in Europe as a Peugeot.

Should we question BMW’s engineering?

2009-03-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

BMW has always been an engineering-driven company. We can count on BMW for technical supremacy in different areas: best engines in the world (and consequently, the most awarded); excellence in handling; obsessive care for weight distribution; leadership in human-machine interface (yes, I hated i-drive too, but fact is, everyone copied them). More recently, with a market move towards increased efficiency and although being a sports-luxury company, BMW managed to also be leader in fuel consumption with their range of “efficient dynamics” technology.

So there should be no reason to criticize. However, according to recent rumours, it appears that BMW is working on a 4-door coupe version of the next 6-series. So far so good. But it has also been said that the new competitor to the Mercedes CLS and future Audi A7 would have a design without B-pillar and using rear doors in the style of the Mazda RX-8. All of this for further market differentiation. If this turns out to be true then it is a huge and unpleasant surprise. Because, being an engineering-excellence company I would not expect BMW to use such concept-car style technical solution.

A car without B-pillar would have seriously compromised passive safety and stiffness, something that BMW would not accept. So the structure has to be reinforced, highly reinforced, which means more weight… in a 4-door coupe BMW?... this can not happen, for sure. Or maybe BMW will have available superior materials such as composites, at competitive cost, in order to overcome the deficient design. But then they could still use them with a conventional design and further improve stiffness regarding the competition and/or reduce weight.

Either way, maybe the rumour is not true. But if this car is for real then I find disappointing that BMW would compromise sound engineering solutions for such a styling statement. The kind of car I would expect BMW to make is a Porsche Panamera fighter, with superior engines (that BMW has available), a CS-concept design (much better looking than the Panamera), and available AWD including the new DPC system that would destroy the Panamera in handling. To the folks at BMW: you have the tools to outgun Porsche so please don’t distract yourselves with styling statements.

This image from Auto-Bild looks nice, but please keep the B-pillar

2010 Audi A8

2009-03-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

Some new spyshots of the next Audi A8 have surfaced. It's interesting to notice how Audi is copying BMW's camouflage. We understand how Audi considers BMW its benchmark for everything, they even were the quickest to copy the i-drive system. And it seems they don't copy everything because they have to use all those engines and bits from skodas and Seats. But the camouflage?...

And what's that in the rear?... a mini Bangle-butt?...

Hyundai iQ-fighter

2009-03-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

The cute thing below is a new Hyundai model expected to fight the toyota iQ. Or maybe it's a bit bigger to compete against Fiat 500/Ford Ka. Anyway, it looks great, but it's still a CGI.

Kia Forte coupe

2009-03-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is a spyshot of the next small FWD coupe from Kia. It's looking good and also has some nice wheels. Kia's design is going from strength to strength. But the brand still faces a big perception wall, at least in Europe. The American market should be a bit easier particularly considering the current offer of small affordable coupes.

2010 VW Touran

2009-03-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

This CGI from Autozeitung shows their interpretation of the next Touran. This should be presented this year. The image shows a rather conservative evolution of the current car. Which is, by itself, a very boring design. VW should consider add a bit more sportiness to the design, or better yet, create a proper 5-seat mini-MPV that could be the sportier version while the 7-seat would be more utilitary. The Golf Plus doesn't play that game very well, it needs more space.

EV Future: Magna Steyr

2009-03-06T02:58:00.001-08:00

This is so boring... the car's design, the suit making a speech... but it's highly relevant. Magna Steyr shows a concept car featuring their expertise in electric powertrain solutions. Remember that Magna was the chosen partner for the next Ford EV. It's interesting to notice that some of the push for electric cars is coming from suppliers like Magna.

2010 Ford C-MAX Concept

2009-03-03T04:01:00.001-08:00

This is the Iosis Max Concept. It shows the front design of the next C-Max. It looks predictable, in a good way, with the agressive Fod trapezoidal grille. The front is also relevant for the next generation Focus.

Much of the rest is typical concept-car stuff, but still one can expect to see the rear lights design in a future ford (C-Max or Focus?). BTW, the doors have a peculiar opening, very concept-car style but in reality the 7-seat C-Max will have sliding rear doors. The 5-seat will have conventional doors.

Alfa Romeo Milano

2009-02-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

The prototype pictured below and other images recently found show the new Alfa Milano as a not-new car. Basically it’s just a Fiat Bravo with not-enough changes, even inside. But if it looks really good that might do the trick and bring more profit to Fiat. Still, I love the Bravo’s design, particularly the rear. Can’t see how the Alfa will improve on that.

If the reader looks closely at the images it appears that there is no multilink at the rear suspension. Normally I would bitch about that, but in the current economic conditions who cares… just make it look good and move some metal with profit!

EV Future: EDAG Light Car

2009-02-26T07:44:00.001-08:00

An electric prototype for the Geneve show. This one looks amazing and brings some innovation in the use of lights. But it's just a study, for now...

EV Future: Ford Battery Electric Vehicle

2009-02-25T03:13:00.001-08:00

This is a prototype of a Focus EV. Driving with no talk, almost no noise... and showing some of the internals. This is for real, and hopefully when it arrives it will look better than this US Focus design.

Auto-future on twitter

2009-02-16T08:22:00.001-08:00

The thing on your right is a twitter widget. It serves to show stuff I write on twitter... auto-future related or maybe not!

So besides the regular (Not!) auto-future content I will be writing short stuff and/or comments on this twitter thing. That could be good because most of the occasions I find something interesting I can't write it properly on auto-future due to lack of time or just simple lazyness. So please follow my twitter page on http://twitter.com/autofuture, I might even give some previews of stuff that will appear later on auto-future.

EV Future: Rinspeed iChange

2009-02-16T06:31:00.001-08:00

iPhone onboard! In this concept the car's body adapts to the number of passengers on board. But it always looks ugly!

Ford B-Max (NOT!)

2009-02-13T06:32:00.000-08:00

The image shows a photoshop of the Ford B-Max, a Fiesta-based minivan. Well, actually it doesn’t because the car was cancelled. This is not being officially announced for good reasons… but that’s what I got to know. And anyway, the car was never acknowledged by Ford. It’s a pity because the car in the image looks really nice for this sort of vehicle. Ford of Europe is very good at designing sporty-looking minivans.

BMW Concept 5 Series Gran Turismo

2009-02-13T06:06:00.001-08:00

Again, the "New Crossover" concept explained. BMW will have a lot of stuff to explain about this car... but in real-life it will look really nice. But I was hoping it would look less like a big hatchback.

VW Polo

2009-02-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Looks like a mini-Golf... what did you expect? More mature than a Seat Ibiza or Skoda Fabia, we will know everything about the new not-so-small-VW very soon. Sorry for the picture, not the greatest quality but it's the real thing.

EV Future: Mindset prototype first drive

2009-02-11T06:08:00.001-08:00

This is a project for an electric car with on-board generator... just like the Chevy Volt. I guess they could try to sell it in EV-mode only since it should be very light and looks more suited to cities.

But anyway, the promoters are still looking for funding.... Do you think it looks ugly?... it was designed by Murat Günak, a designer famous for hurting VW's profitability... he is better at designing this sort of things than real cars.

2010 BMW X3

2009-02-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

The smaller-than-X5-SUV. And bigger than X1, and taller than new PAS-crossover-thing... it's becoming difficult to put all this new crossover-SUV-BMW-things in their right place. Still, this will be a proper X3, the image below shows some design lines despite all the visual noise. It will look great and even more sportier than the X5. Expect also class leading CO2 emissions from improved efficient dynamics technique.

EV Future: Audi A?

2009-02-06T01:59:00.000-08:00

German magazine Auto-Zeitung presented a recent article on future small cars from BMW and Audi. If BMW is going forward with a new brand within the "i-mobility" concept, Audi will have to uses its own rings for the job in a series of new cars. One of the proposed concepts for possible electrification is a revival of the A2, a car that could have more chances of success today. The CGI below shows how a A2-based new city-car could be and it looks really nice.

EV Future: Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid

2009-02-03T07:10:00.001-08:00

Ford announced today that when it starts building its first series production plug-in hybrid in 2012, the lithium ion battery packs will be supplied by Johnson Controls-Saft. JCS has already been supplying the prototype packs for current test fleet of PHEV Ford Escapes as well as packs for some of Ford's experimental vehicles such as the HySeries drive Ford Edge.

It would be nice to have the Escape PHEV sooner than 2012 but we reckon it will probably be available with the new car-like body structure expected for the next generation Escape.

BMW PAS official teaser

2009-01-30T07:20:00.001-08:00

The "New Crossover" concept explained in simple drawings...

New Citroen crossover (Airlounge evolution)

2009-01-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

French magazine L'Auto-Journal presents some CGIs and information that hint at a confirmation of a new "New Crossover" from Citroen. This car should be based on the C4 Picasso platform and could receive some design inspiration from the much loved Hypnos concept car. It will also have available a hybrid AWD version using PSA's HYMotion 4 architecture.

The magazine presents some CGI images but these are not very good. I prefer this older ones, and something that joins elements of this and the Hypnos concept would be great:

EV Future: electric car for the moon

2009-01-26T02:35:00.001-08:00

Very cool. Hopefully we will see many electric cars on earth before this one goes to the moon.

EV Future: Electric Vehicles at Detroit Auto Show

2009-01-20T06:35:00.001-08:00

This nice video shows plenty of new EVs at Detroit show. Some very cool like the Cadillac Converj and the Toyota FT-EV. But also some smoke and mirrors like the Chrysler 200C...

Peugeot 408 (Not!)

2009-01-19T01:33:00.000-08:00

The image below was shown at French forum "forum-peugeot". It does not present the next Peugeot 408 in its final version because the car will have a new front design. The new design director at PSA, Jean Pierre Ploué, did not like the car so changes will be made. That means a 4 to 6 month delay. This is not very common and it will cost some money but not that much because it will be only a front job. And anyway, in this current market environment it's not too bad to delay a bit a big investment such as the new mid-size sedan.

The rear and profile should keep unchanged: it does have a bit of 4-door coupe design, which it's not surprising.

EV Future: Ford Focus EV mule

2009-01-15T03:06:00.001-08:00

This is a video showing a mule for a future Focus-based electric car. The one that "will be sold outright to retail customers through Ford dealers beginning in 2011". Hopefully... and please, on a better looking car than that American Focus.

EV Future: Toyota iQ-based electric car

2009-01-14T06:09:00.000-08:00

The FT-EV concept presented by Toyota at the Detroit motorshow hints at a production version expected for 2012. Hopefully for everyone, not just for fleets. This is not new around here, when the iQ was presented there were signs that it could serve as basis for future electrification.

EV Future: BYD F3DM plug-in hybrid

2009-01-13T07:05:00.001-08:00

This is on sale now...in China. And only for government agencies. For now...

New car for the compact class (Opel Astra)

2009-01-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

The image below shows a new compact car that I can't recognise because can't quite see the badge ;). This new nice looking vehicle seems like the sort of thing that would compete in the European market against the Focus or the Golf. But can't be sure of that because don't know what car this is ;).

Anyway it looks promising unless it lacks a multilink in the rear...

Update: a reader commented on this being the Opel Astra. I actualy knew what car this was but wanted to stay out of trouble at least until some major site picks up the story. Hence the eye-blinks in the original text ;) Well now that I've seen it in autoweek.nl I can rest safer.

The car does look really nice but one has to see it in person and on the roads in order to judge if it can make a dent in the Focus or Golf. The main feature is that the car needs to look wide and "substantial", not sure about that from the pictures. We also know how the car will look like inside from recent spy shots: it will look much like the Insignia. Not sure if that is enough to fight the wonderfull Golf VI interiors... And finally on the multilink rear suspension... assuming that the Astra fully uses the Chevrolet Cruze platform it will have an old style torsion beam. Again, it needed something much better to fight the Golf and Focus.

Future trends: active aerodynamics

2009-01-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

One of the recent good news on future automotive trends is that the technical bits will be gaining more importance. Stuff like engine efficiency, hybrid powertrains or weight reduction are putting the engineering first again. This article discusses a future trend that is active aerodynamics.

Active aerodynamics is related to the use of moving surfaces or parts to change the aerodynamic behaviour of a vehicle. The most obvious example is the retractable spoilers that you can find in a number of sports cars (Audi TT, for example). Another recent, less famous but equally important application is found on a number of BMW cars with the Efficient Dynamics package. It’s the air flaps at the front that regulate air flow to the engine. These close to reduce drag if engine cooling is not needed.

Future applications might include the referred air flaps that will for sure be copied by other manufacturers. But also other applications seeking to reduce drag at higher speeds, for example the image below shows a proposal by Saab to improve the aerodynamic performance of a hatchback using an extending rear parcel. Such feature would ruin the design of the car but since it moves only at higher speeds it gets more manageable.

The little black deflector shown below on a Citroen C4 Picasso is another example of candidate for becoming an active surface. Reports indicate that such feature could be part of a rear light module including the mechanism for surface actuation. Future cars incorporating possibly this or other examples of active aerodynamics are expected from different manufacturers although one does not have to guess a lot to preview BMW to be in the leadership. As of today their Efficient Dynamics package is still the undisputed reference in fuel consumption and emissions with several technical features (including the referred air flaps) yet to be found in the competition.

Peugeot 208

2009-01-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

It seems a bit too early for a preview of the Peugeot 208. After all, the current 207 is not even restyled yet. But anyway, it makes for good magazine cover…

The image below is an unreliable “maquette”. It’s unreliable simply because the design is not frozen yet and this last information is based on inside sources. In my opinion this design proposal is too much of a caricature. Peugeot needs to focus on the proportions first and then on the detailing, this one is “over-detailed”. Clicking on he picture links to the original source.

EV Future:Mercedes BlueZERO Concept

2009-01-05T02:42:00.001-08:00

Ugly colour, ugly car, ugly everything. But another step by Mercedes in the right direction. Reportedly Mercedes was very unhappy with the sudden increase of diesel prices in the USA when they were about to start selling diesels there. It's payback time... in a couple of years.

Auto-Future 2008: the year in review

2008-12-29T06:48:00.000-08:00

Now that this year is ending I decided to put a series of links of auto-future articles since January 2008. This was an interesting year (but not in a good way) and it appears 2009 will be worse... but hey, I'm not complaining so let's revisit one year in blog articles.

In January, amongst several car news, there was an article on how Shell was kind of acknowledging peak-oil. A nice introduction to the year of big mess in oil prices.

Later something related to the next BMW 5-series. Actually just these days received info on this car confirming those previsions from February.

March was the month of the Car of the Year: it was the Toyota iQ. Yes, we don't wait until the end of the year to give awards cuz we know the future.

The first of April presented my favourite article, the fake story on Ford of Europe declaring independence. This was great fun writing and it become even more interesting when some weeks later Ford decided to choose is european division to design most of the future global platforms.

Correcting other folks news. Sometimes it happens!

June brought several novelties about the Ford Focus III. And I took the opportunity to ask Ford for a few things about this car.

Something interesting in July: back in 2007 I decided not to show some very revealing shots of the Megane III because these would do harm to Renault's business. These images were criminally stolen inside Renault's development center. Some journalists from Auto-Plus were later accused of espionage because of that.

A favourite of auto-future: the Chevrolet Volt. I hope it makes to production. But if it don't, others will. The future of automobile is electric.

Peugeot: you need help, lot's of it. Offering help to Peugeot, they will have a couple of rough years ahead. But now everyone will.

November was the month of the "New Crossover". There are several articles on the subject, and I will be presenting much more in the future.

In December, amonst several interesting features, there was this more sentimental article related to the Detroit bailout.

Ending with the image of the year: the Ford badge with the European stars. The future success of Ford depends on the implementation of global platforms, some of these designed outside of the USA. This will be a key strategy for several players: leveraging on global platforms for cost reduction. Part of the reason Ford is in better shape now is because of its European division. So in the future Ford will be a bit more European. And in general, all big car manufacturers will become more global in their operations.

Auto-Future 2008: The awards edition

2008-12-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Car of the Year: Toyota iQ
As usual, writing about the future makes one give awards in advance. For example, in 2007 the Concept Car of the Year was chosen in January. And the Car of the Year 2010 is already decided as long as the people that will build it are still in business by then… This year the Car of the Year award was chosen in March and it was the Toyota iQ. You can go back and read about it here.

The diminutive Toyota is usually compared with the Smart, but the 2-seater from Mercedes looks like a plastic toy in this comparison. Whether is space, build quality, passive safety but mainly active safety, the Toyota is a far superior machine. Just go test-drive the two cars in the same day and you will see a huge difference. But then the Toyota is quite a pricey thing… actually this is one of the interesting bits of the iQ: in the small car class it’s a premium product… will Toyota make good sales at this price (about 13000€ in Europe)?...

But the main interesting features of the iQ are technical: it presents the biggest evolution in FWD platforms since the sandwich architecture of the Mercedes A-class. Several technical advances make for a radically efficient use of space and some of these features will migrate to future cars from Toyota. And there is more: this car is being rumoured as candidate for electrification in the future. It’s all good things about this Toyota.

There is also a small but important thing about this car. It has something that is important to achieve success in Europe but that Toyota usually fails to have in its cars. Since it is Christmas time here is a little gift for Toyota: if you drop me an email asking I will tell you what it is.

Concept Car of the Year: Citroen Hypnos
The Citroen Hypnos was frequently referred in the articles about the “New Crossover” and for good reasons: it’s the best design interpretation of the New Crossover philosophy and it also presents a rather elegant technical implementation of a AWD plug-in hybrid architecture.

But will Citroen make it?... or at least something similar?

Pathetic Joke of the Year: Seat Exeo
Surprise, it’s not a Chrysler! I remember writing a couple of articles on this car more than a year ago when it was rumoured to be in development based on the Audi A4 B8 platform. At the time it looked like a good idea for “platform recycling” and it could provide for a Seat with Quattro AWD system and possibly reborn the great RS4. But it didn’t quite turn out like that…

I lost interest when started to hear that it was just a nose-job/butt-job. And for now there is nothing of the good stuff from the old A4 whether it was the AWD system or at least some V6 engines. And even the photo-perceived quality of the interiors is damaged with the Seat symbol in the steering wheel and some small details like the rubber in the doors.

But the worst thing about the car is the design and the sort of recycled look of it. Who will buy this car? It’s so poor-looking, as in really un-wealthy poor besides being ugly. What is the motivation for people to buy this thing? Do they realize this is a 4-star car in the EuroNCAP crash tests? But a weak 4-star. And the space inside is actually worse than in a Seat Altea XL.

There is also a twisted feature about this car: it actually devalues the Audi brand. People in this industry are well aware of what Audis really are underneath the sporty sheetmetal and those interiors made to look really good in the images. But it has never been so obvious for the general public the sharing of parts with other cheaper brands like Seat or Skoda.

In the end this car brings an innovation and it will be famous for it. The interested reader must be familiar with the expression “badge engineering”. Well, this car introduces “badge engineering” only without the “engineering” part.

Who are you?... I hope you will be ok.

2008-12-19T03:55:00.000-08:00

Who’s the lady in the image below? I don’t know but I hope she will be ok. I “stole” this image from a video of the “Bold moves” series of Ford from two years ago. It was the video on the build of the Shelby GT500 and you can find it here. I remember watching the video at the time and getting surprised with the spontaneous reaction of the line worker hugging the new powertrain of the Mustang GT500 and saying “wonderful”. It’s easy to forget how people can get passionate about their work and how they are not just numbers ready to be discarded.

I’m writing this today with a bitter feeling because in the last attempt to approve the car bailout the major problem with the senators that voted against was the wages of line workers. And this is not a new trend: in Europe or in the United States it seems whenever restructuring is needed the first thing to sacrifice is workers benefits and jobs. We have had many years now of management specialized in downsizing at the expense of the workforce (and adding management bonuses in the process…). And we are also getting used, at least in Europe, to the progressive loss of health benefits and pensions value. At this point one asks: do we have to accept living worse than the previous generation? This is not progress, it’s quite the opposite, and people should simply not accept it.

University students in Greece have reached the limit point. The can no longer support the prospect of living with 600 Euros per month after college education and they realized that the current democracy status will not change that. So they went for action. I hope this event does not escalate. And I hope something new comes out of the new American administration that really triggers changes in the way things operate globally. On the lady in the image, she will probably be ok: she works in a Ford factory, the American manufacturer in best shape, building a best-selling car that is the Mustang. I hope she keeps hugging powertrains whenever something new arrives in the assembly line.

Auto-Future revisited: Chrysler 100C

2008-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

This gigantic mess with the American car manufacturers has raised my interest for the American car market. Other than the usual perplexity of Europeans (why all the trucks?... what’s with the gigantic SUVs?... can’t they live with smaller cars?...), tempered with some moments of adoration (usually Corvette and Mustang related), I don’t usually pay much attention to American cars and their local market.

So last week I was checking a TV show at channel France 24 about the Detroit trio with great interest. They made a nice review on the current problems of Detroit, interviewed local people, car dealers and customers… all very unbiased and informative. Then they had this debate with a moderator and three commentators, one of which was a previous Peugeot-Citroen CEO. They added some good points to the discussion, but the whole thing was verging on hilarious and surrealism: because France 24 is a French news channel but they all speak in English… so we had four guys speaking in English, with a very strong French accent, in a French TV show and about the American car market. On top of that one of them was not very fluent in English so every now and then the other three had to help him in finding words… that made for some good laughs.

In that debate the Peugeot-Citroen guy was very bullish about the current shape of European manufacturers saying that we have fuel efficient cars so we won’t have the same problems of Detroit. Now I’m not so sure about that because car sales in November dropped 26% in the European market, in Spain alone it was a dramatic 50% loss… if this trend continues everyone will be in great trouble here. The credit freeze is a problem born outside the car market but it has a huge influence in the purchasing decisions on cars.

Other than the current economy status the manufacturers have to be blamed for not running their business properly, but one of the Detroit 3 had a little help from the notorious inability of Daimler in handling Chrysler. This made me think about a very old article (March 2006) here in auto-future in which I was requesting for a new Chrysler car… you can find the link here or read the whole thing below:

"This is future car request. I ask for vehicles to the manufacturers. But only cars that can be made… with success and profit. This time the Chrysler 100C (I also get to name it). The concept: a scaled down 300C using the platform of the current Mercedes C-class, and using the same engines, particularly diesel engines. Of course the design should be massive and “in your face” as is the case with the 300C, only smaller, because the 300C is just too big for European roads. Ah…European roads, that’s right a car made thinking of Europeans hence the diesel engines.Of course, cheaper than a C-class because it uses an “old” platform. You see (by you I mean you people at Mercedes),I would like to be able to drive a gangster look American saloon with tinted windows and huge wheels. Only I can’t drive that 300C thing in our roads. Scale it down please. It will do well in the USA, and in Europe too."

One can try to imagine if things would have been different had Daimler made such car instead of the Chrysler Sebring, or embraced a concept that I also written about later: the concept of “platform recycling”. It means that every “previous generation” RWD or SUV platform from Mercedes could be recycled as a new Chrysler car with very low development and tooling costs and the benefits of delivering RWD for the masses. Now it doesn’t really matter, I haven’t been following Chrysler much since that article and it seems I won’t be following Chrysler in the future.

Buy American!

2008-12-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a view on the difficulties of American car manufacturers, as seen from Europe, cuz that’s where I’m from. I notice Americans are very patriotic. Noticed that because of the flags everywhere (cars, houses, clothes…), the recent presidential campaign, the distorted opinion that folks that were against the Iraq war were not patriotic, etc. Here in Europe, Germans don’t seem so patriotic, no flags in every corner, but check how they show their love for the country: best selling car in Germany… VW Golf, actually, in the first 10 one does not usually find a single non-German car. But they do make very good cars… So let’s check France… their best selling car is either a Renault Clio or a Peugeot 207, so a French car then. And in Italy, the best selling car is usually a Fiat GrandePunto, a pure Italian machine. Do you notice the trend?... If the United Kingdom had a mainstream car manufacturer it would probably be their best selling car (and it would be a piece of crap for sure).

Back to America here is some advice for the future: buy some American cars, particularly now that they are very good, or at least one is. The Ford Fusion pictured below is emerging as an alternative to the Camry that is as good or better in recent quality ratings, is gaining some good reviews, solid safety ratings, competitive engines and mileage… Ford is back at making cars so maybe it’s time for less patriotic talk and more action! I’m not familiar with the Chevrolet Malibu but it seems it’s also a competitive offer. And here in Europe we can buy the Chrysler Sebring that is a solid errr… sorry, bad example. Mind you, I do know that the Fusion is actually made in Mexico but German folks also know that not all of the VW Golfs are made in Germany. It doesn’t really matter much because the profit comes back home anyway.

Future trends: weight reduction strategies

2008-12-12T03:07:00.000-08:00

One of the main improvements in future cars and associated global platforms is weight reduction. This trend has already started, or at least, new cars have stopped to gain significantly on weight. Weight reduction has not been more actively pursued because it’s expensive and people didn’t really care a lot. Reduction of emissions and fuel consumption is now mandatory so manufacturers are finding cost effective ways to reduce weight. Several strategies are being adopted and we can expect more than 100kg of weight reduction in future generations of the European compact class (Focus III, Golf VII, for example).

Body structure…
The increased use of high strength steels is one of the ways of achieving weight reduction, allowing the use of thinner sheet-metal, although this poses other issues in stiffness, vibration modes and welding processes, for example. The key factor is that one can not just replace steel grades but an holistic approach must be used including changes in manufacturing process as well: expect more hydroformed parts and hot stamping of Ultra high strength steel grades.

Other (more expensive) trend in the body structure is the use of both aluminium and steel in panels and other parts. BMW will make use of this strategy in future cars (it already does so in the current 5-series). Other more advanced mix of materials can be expected in two car generations: a recent joint-research project of several European manufacturers previews an aggressive mix of different materials (see figure below) although this still poses many challenges in cost and robustness of manufacturing.

… and everything else
Of those 100kg referred previously one can expect about 30kg reduction in the body structure and the rest from basically everything else. And car manufacturers are finding an easy way of achieving this. They are saying to suppliers that they must make new parts that are both cheaper and lighter than the old ones. And that can be achieved with careful design and the cost-leverage of global platforms. That’s how the new Ford Fiesta achieves part of its weight reduction.

The virtuous cycle
One of the interesting bits of weight reduction is that once it is started we can enter a virtuous cycle that allows further weight reduction. For example if the overall structure and components are lighter the suspension parts can be made even lighter because these are not so stressed anymore. And in the end one can even effectively do engine downsizing while keeping the same performance, or better yet, make it more fun with the same engine size and some turbocharging…