What makes a “Northwest” car? Well, it has to be good in all types of weather and terrain. It has to be able to carry enough stuff to get you through a weekend outting to the mountains or beach. And, it has to be somewhat modest – afterall, this isn’t Hollywood. Without further adieu…

5) Ford Escape Hybrid: SUV’s are popular just about anywhere, but in the ever environmentally conscious Northwest, heading to the nearest Starbucks in your Escalade is looked down upon more and more. The Ford Escape is small but versatile, able to get all your gear up into the Cascades in relative comfort, and even if it’s not the hybrid (but especially so if it is), fuel efficient.

4) Volvo V70 Cross Country: Volvo?? Yes. Why? The Volvo V70 satisfies the Northwester’s need for luxury, comfort, and outdoorsy-ness. The Cross Country combines Volvo “built like a tank” safety with an ability to go off road on the local Forest Service roads. And it’s just as comfortable up in the mountains as it is traversing the Bellevue Square parking lot.

3) Ford F-150: This could be a “top 5″ vehicle for pretty much anywhere in the country, with exception of LA. Why the F-150? One word: Boating. People in the NW love to hit the water, and whether we like it or not that usually requires towing a boat to your nearest body of water. And well, the F-150 is the best selling truck for a reason.

2) Audi A4 Quattro: There are plenty of yuppies in the Northwest, and the A4 has become required attire for many of them. The Audis are just hip enough to be “not as yuppy-ish as a BMW or Mercedes”, but luxurious enough to show you’ve survived the dot-com bust. And the Quattro for obvious reasons – you can still zip through traffic in the rainy season.

1) Subaru Legacy/Outback Wagon: If ever there was an official car for the Northwest, it’s the Subaru Legacy. Nowhere in the country can you see more of them out on the road in one area. OK, I can’t actually verify that, but it’s probably true. All wheel drive, not pretentious, extremely durable and reliable, with room enough to carry just about everything you need, either in or on top. Popular with hippies, lesbians, computer nerds, and outdoorsmen alike, well, it doesn’t get more Northwest than that.

Filed under:
Audi, Ford, Subaru, Top 5, Volvo by Brian

When you think of Canada, fast cars is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Honestly, it’s probably not the 50th thing that comes to mind. But Canadian company HTT Technologies is hoping to change with the introduction of its supercar, the Plethore LC-750. An odd name if you ask me (is it a play on the word “plethora”, meaning “many and varied”??), but one clue in the name should let you know that the Plethore means business – 750. It refers to the engine’s horsepower rating, which is coupled with 650 ft/lbs of torque. Did we mention this engine is crammed into a package weighing approximately the same as a Mazda MX-5 (aka, Miata roadster)? Sounds awesome and terrifying at the same time.

Visually, the McLaren F1 comes to mind, especially due to the “center drive” position. McLaren F1 on steriods is an accurate description. But whereas the F1 was a completely new car, the Plethore LC-750 has the underpinnings of a Corvette ZR1, with a custom carbon fiber body fitted on top.

Expect to see the Plethore officially unveiled a the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Filed under:
concept cars by Brian

With the takeover of Chrysler/Dodge, Fiat has managed to find a way back into the US market. And it couldn’t come at a better time, as smaller cars become more popular with the American market. But a recent article in Motortrend outlined some possibilities for just how Fiat may come to the US. Utilizing the network of Chrysler dealerships, Fiat plans to offer up its own cars…or does it? One possibility is that Fiat will rebadge its cars as a Dodge, changing grills and logos among other small details, but largely keeping them the same.

If there’s one thing that seems apparent to a car guy, its that badge engineering rarely works out for the better. The public likes an original, not a copy of an original which almost always looks like a copy (read, “not as good”). Case in point, Pontiac’s “comeback car”, the GTO, which was a rebadged Holden from Australia. The original Holden that the GTO was based on was a sporty sedan; the GTO lacked the same zing.

In the internet age, badge engineering makes no sense. Most of us know what the original looks like, and we’re not fooled by the swapping of badges and retrofitting of grills and logos. We just want the real thing. Fiat should give us what we want.

Filed under:
Chrysler, Fiat by Brian

GM has been unveiling new car after new car recently, from the much hyped (and admittedly, very cool) Volt, to the upcoming Cobalt replacer, the Cruze. Their latest marketing buzz has been around small cars – sub-compact territory – and their opening move in this market is the Chevy Spark. Ed Welburn, VP of global design, states, “Cool and small is the next big thing.”

There’s one problem with that statement which highlights a reoccuring theme with GM, that being the whole last half of the sentence. “Cool and small” is not the next big thing – it’s the big thing now. The Chevy Spark, pictured below, is not set to come out until 2012. By the time it comes out, it will already look outdated. Compared to some other sub-compacts (Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit, just to name a couple), it already does look outdated.

The Chevy Volt, GM’s “savior”, is a great looking car. But it too is going to look outdated by the time it arrives in late 2010. If released now, it would be a great looking car. But designs in the auto industry evolve at breakneck speeds these days, and GM is going to have to turn around products much quicker if it wants any hope of surviving.

Filed under:
Chevy Spark, General Motors by Brian

This article in The Seattle Times mentions that Nissan is producing electric vehicles and testing them in various US markets, with a major test occuring in Seattle. They are bringing their most technically advanced car (in terms of alternative fuel) to Seattle…for US to test!!!

So how about GM, the company now owned by US taxpayers? They’re putting plenty of effort into developing their alternative fuel vehicle in…India. Indiana? No, India. Granted, India is an important market for GM (and all automakers in general), and GM must succeed there in some fashion. But I think it would go a long way for GM to launch some exciting new technology HERE – even as a preproduction test. GM needs some favorable press, and conducting alt fuel tests in various US cities would be a step in achieving that. Especially when GM is still trying to shake the “fuel hog” reputation, as false as it may be.

Filed under:
General Motors, Going Green, electric vehicle by Brian

Pontiac has long been positioned as GM’s “excitement” brand. But it wasn’t until recently that Pontiac has truly lived up to that name. No one can deny the excitement of the original GTO, but that was over 40 years ago, and Pontiac had long since lost its way. Within the last few years though, Pontiac has found some of that old GTO magic – but not in it’s revival of the GTO name, which flopped, but in a new model – the G8.

The G8 is (soon to be, was), for a change, not just a great looking Pontiac but a great looking American automobile. Strong, bulky but sleek, and possessing a great stance. It’s the type of car American automakers need to build more of, and CAN. So why is GM cutting it’s most promising brand, with the most promising car? It’s a question more people are asking themselves as the reality of GM’s bankruptcy sets in. GM is so focused on retooling their product line towards gas efficiency, they’ve lost sight of what people really want: A great looking car that’s well built, and goes like hell. Leave the sub-compacts for commuting, but we still want a muscle car – we’ll just use it on the weekends and on our birthdays!

It’s hard to root for the home team when they seem to make such dumb decisions. It’s tough to rally behind the American company when they take away a great product.

Filed under:
Uncategorized by Brian

There’s plenty wrong with America’s car manufacturers. Crazy union contracts – check. Volatile oil (and thus, gasoline) prices – check. “Foriegn is simply cooler” mentality of the public, especially the younger buyers – check. But there’s one problem that is inexcusable, and must change if success is to be had: Design by committee.

Case in point, the Chevy Aveo.

Chevrolet presented three small, cool compact concepts a couple of years ago, then opened up the voting to internet users. It was a great idea, and it generated a lot of buzz. The three designs were fresh, edgy, and for a change, they were designs that Americans could actually be proud of (nevermind the fact that at least one of the designs came compliments of Daewoo designers out of Korea).

One idea served as the concept for the 2010 Chevy Aveo. But you’d never tell. Design by committee took over, cost cutting measures kicked in, and “gaining mainstream appeal” turned a fun, hip design into a hideous, appalling wreck. See for yourself:

Concept:

Production:

And, the production photo is deceptively attractive compared to the in-person view. It’s rare that a car looks worse in person that in pictures, but the new Aveo has pulled it off brilliantly.

Of the US “Big Three”, Ford has best managed to translate concept into production. And it’s no coincidence that among the Big Three, Ford is the best off and ready to rebound along with the economy.

Filed under:
General Motors, concept cars by Brian

Evolution is the natural progressions of all things. In nature, when things evolve they get better. Bad traits, by definition, die out (literally) – and subsequent generations cannot help but be an improved version of the past. Traits cannot go from good to bad.

Except in the automotive world.

Cars began getting bigger and heavier as SUV’s became all the rage. This trend towards larger, heavier cars made it necessary for smaller cars to take defensive measures. Smaller cars now had to carry around loads of padding, airbags, and metal beams to fend off attacks from larger cars. Soon the smaller cars packed on hundreds of more pounds, until they too were bigger cars. And now that the smaller cars were bigger, the bigger cars had to become even bigger to maintain their automotive dominance.

But the funny thing is, we aren’t significantly safer. In 1994, there were 36,254 motor vehicle deaths in the US. In 2007, the number was 37,248. (http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx) Surely there have been safety advances since 1994, and cars have gotten heavier as a result. But the only benefit was to maintain the same number of deaths – basically no benefit at all.

So now we have cars that weigh thousands of pounds more than they used to, but they still carry the same amount of people and stuff. They keep getting heavier, largely by adding safety features, but only to maintain their same level of safety. And as a result, their fuel economy suffers, and all that added weight impacts handling. But what if all cars were lighter, thereby needing less safety equipment to successfully handle a crash? Sort of like they were 20 years ago.

It’s time we hit the reset button on cars.

A 1987 Honda CRX HF could get 57 MPG in highway driving. Simple gasoline engine, void of any modern fuel saving technology. It weighed about 1800 pounds. A 2010 Honda Civic weighs about 2600 pounds and gets around 35 MPG on the highway. A 1987 Honda CRX would likely get crushed in any traffic accident today, but if all cars were proportionally smaller and weighed less, the playing field would be even. We would all benefit from more fuel efficient, fun to drive cars. We would all get to where we’re going, with all of our stuff – no difference there. We would all be better off.

It’s time to scale back our perceptions on what a car should be. We can’t continue this same rate of expansion with cars getting bigger and heavier. It’s like the “Cold War” of cars, and it makes about as much sense as the real Cold War.

Filed under:
Editorial, Going Green by Brian

Two upcoming vehicles in Ford’s lineup highlight how, just when you thought a car company was beginning to understand what American consumers want, they can to a 180 on you really quick. Ford has making the right moves lately, opting to bring over some of it’s European offerings to us folks in America – a novel concept since FORD IS AN AMERICAN COMPANY. Obviously this topic touches a nerve, but that’s another post entirely.

Ford’s Fiesta warranted praise for it’s cool design, small size, and fun factor. And the fact that we get it rather than being left to drool and daydream is a bonus too. It should be a hit with city drivers, which nowadays is the bulk of all drivers.

And then there’s the “Ford Transit Connect Family One Concept”. Huh? The name alone should trigger sirens in your brain. A car trying to be everything, and make it sound cool in the process, just doesn’t fly. This is a short bus in disguise. Or, a giant minivan. I’m not sure, but whatever it is trying to be is not needed by any American family, with perhaps a few exceptions in Utah. Large families are great and all, but somehow we’ve survived the last 60 years of automotive history without the use of a family bus. Besides, do we really want to encourage overpopulation?

Filed under:
Ford, concept cars by Brian

Commercials for the upcoming Kia Soul, the Korean automakers answer to the Xb and upcoming Nissan Cube, have begun to hit the net and movie theaters. I never thought a Kia commercial would drum up excitement, but it’s done just that. And it’s not because of some gimmick – the commercial itself is cute but not the main attraction; in this case, the CAR is the main attraction. The Kia Soul is the most refreshing new car for younger folks since the original Scion Xb, BEFORE Toyota turned it into a minivan. And like the Xb, I foresee a lot of 40-50 year olds picking up a Soul. It will be an attempt to look cool, but it’ll also be a great buy.

Check out the commercial below, and below that check out the Cube, Xb, Soul comparison:

Filed under:
Kia, Nissan, Scion by Brian