BMW i8 Concept: The Future?

BMW's been introducing its new "i line" lately, ranging from small, Smart ForTwo-sized citycars (such as the i4) to full-on, holy-crap-that's-gotta-be-fast concepts that can still get a combined40MPG, like the i8.

Pretty, right?


Hey wait a minute...isn't that a Nazca C2? You know, the car BMW was gonna build in the early 90s?

Hm. Well, it's a good design to pick for an overhaul, at least.

NYIAS '11: The Lonely Petrolhead

I’ve been to the car show every year since I was old enough to know what “steering wheel” meant, though I didn’t truly appreciate what I was seeing until I had figured out things like “coilover suspension” and “symmetrical all-wheel drive.”

But one thing that’s remained constant throughout the years aside from my love of all things four-wheeled is my acceptance of crowds. I’ve been a part of this city my whole life, so I learned to shrug off the various unpleasant odors and cacophonous cries of pre-pubescent boys. So this year, when I was able to attend as an official member of the press, I was greeted with quite a culture shock: past the ticket and ID-checking points, the Javits Center was hushed.

No bored wives digressing loudly on their Blackberries, complaining while their husbands are enamored with the models on the Mercedes platforms. No directionless masses stumbling into pictures like Resident Evil zombies brought to life.


Hell, not even any six year olds bawling their brains out because their corn dogs just fell on the ground.


It felt quite inauspicious, indeed. Perhaps even a bit lonely. And BMW’s confectionaries, while monumentally delicious, could not deter me from noticing the lack of energy within the Javits Center. It felt like Broadway circa I Am Legend. I could not help but let the lethargic, understated tone affect my energy towards the end of the day.

More importantly, however, no crowds = I get to look at and extensively inspect anything I damn well please. Now, I constantly check sites like Autoblog and scour the net for press releases, so the big stars of the show weren’t really shocking – the 2012 Focus and Fiesta in particular caught the eyes of many journalists, including my own. I’ve been following the new Focus since its global platform was announced over a year ago, so there were no surprises there – a pretty car that’s good on gas, handles well, comes with either of two fantastic transmissions, and (if you go for that kind of thing) can be loaded up with tech normally reserved for 35K+ cars.

What’s not to like? Were I a family man or planning to become one soon, the Focus would top a very short list of versatile family hatchbacks. Its only true competitor for me is the Elantra Touring, and that’s technically a wagon – a stigma many Americans are still uncomfortable with.

The Fiesta impressed me once again, bringing plenty of new design to the compact world, while keeping some elements I loved about the old ZX3/ZX5: the gauge cluster design and headlight switch, along with the steering wheel feel like direct descendents of the original Focus. And that’s a fantastic thing, because to this day I haven’t found a compact car I like more than the original Focus.

The lime squeeze Fiesta Ford had on display does suffer in the same area that the ZX5 did, however; if the driver is large (like my 6’1, 205 pound self), good luck to the passenger behind him. Some reviewers would mark the Fiesta off for that, but let’s be real here: if you’re carrying passengers often enough for the rear legroom to be a deciding factor in your purchase, you’re shopping in the wrong segment, pal. But if you’re in the market for a small, affordable, good-looking car that handles excellently and fits a big man behind the wheel AND can fit a good amount of luggage/guitar equipment/whatever in the hatch, I present to you your next ride.

Another car that truly impressed me this year was – and I can’t believe I’m going to use “impressed” and this manufacturer’s name in the same sentence – the Buick Regal GS. Yep, the same name that my grandpa (and probably yours) loved is back to kick some ass. With Jaguar XK-like styling, 2.0T engine, AWD, a six-speed manual (in a BUICK?!), and leather/navigation for around 33 large ones, GM had my attention. Sitting in the Regal GS is such a different experience from GM luxury cars of the past, and even some of the present. The new Cadillac CTS, for example, felt about as welcoming inside as a ’99 Cavalier and just as well-built. But this Regal has the space, the comfort, the fit & finish, the style, AND the balls to give the Bavarians and the Japanese a serious kick in the pants. The perfect daily driver for a 30-something family man.

“30 year old man? In a Buick? Man, you’re crazy!” You might think so, but just watch, Buick’s aiming to seriously change the minds of the public and the automotive journalism industry. I can safely say that they’ve got a fan in me. And I’m barely old enough to buy myself a beer.

The last car that caught my eye was a concept from struggling Saab. Again, I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but it’s the first Saab I haven’t been bored by. There are two swooping, raised planes running from the rear quarter panels to the front of the roof; it’s definitely a striking vehicle. Unfortunately it’s a concept, and therefore worth millions, so I couldn’t sit inside. I was free to admire the concept, apparently dubbed “Phoenix,” from the outside, however. Noting the lack of side view mirrors, I took a quick peek inside. Sure enough, within the dash there are two screens displaying the feed from two cameras on the Phoenix’s wings – brilliant. The driver never has to turn his head. It’s definitely a striking vehicle any way you look at it, For Saab’s sake, I hope it can help the company rise from the ashes.

Five hours and some ridiculously expensive champagne later (big ups, Rolls-Royce) later, I had seen everything I wanted to see. Not once was I bothered. Not once did I have to wait to see a vehicle or deal with a stranger fiddling with the sunroof while I’m trying to assess the dash. Definitely a new experience, in many ways much better than all years prior.

But you know what? Driving through the mountains, no matter how good the road, eventually gets lonely. Sometimes you need good company out there, because the best things in life are meant to be shared.

Of Poor Caliber

Southern California is a beautiful place, even during winter. Well, during the traditional "winter" months, anyway, since SoCal's vision of cold weather is sixty degrees. What makes an excursion in the land of steady sun even more enjoyable than the scenery is eating freeway miles and mountain passes with the right automobile. I was excited; I figured I could at least get a Focus or a Fiesta. Hell, after seeing the choice in front of me, I would've killed for a '96 Cavalier with a blown head gasket and blood dripping from the center console.

Alas, when I arrived at the San Diego Enterprise to select my holiday hire-car for the week, I was greeted by an obnoxiously cheerful employee who insisted on an "upgrade." He was pushing a sales pitch for a red Charger rather intensely, likely hoping that it would appear to a Neanderthal urge inside me like all good Dodges should (1970 Charger R/T anyone?). Much to his dismay however, I knew I'd be driving far too much to want a fake muscle car best suited for balding white men with beer guts. So I walked right past the red guzzler, hoping for a good selection in the "mid-size" section of the lot.

I had one option before me: a white Chrysler Sebring, notorious for being poor in all aspects...or another white Mopar:

If I'm honest, I would've taken that old 300ZX in the background any day of the week. Twice on Sundays.

Yep, I took the Caliber. I figured that that hatch would be useful for my luggage as I trekked through south and central California. And unlike the Sebring, the Caliber wasn't known for blowing transmissions to Mars. Also unlike the Sebring, I hoped the Caliber would have some kind of charm that could win me over in an underdog sort of way.

But it does share one essential trait with the Sebring - it's rubbish. It wasn't one or two niggles here or there that tipped the good car/bad car scale for me. There is nothing good about this car.

Maybe that's being unfair. There must be something redeeming about it.

It didn't have a "Lickety Split" vinyl pasted on the sides. That's a plus.

It does fit in well with the urban landscape, despite Dodge's apparent attempt to make an offroader out of the poor thing. The white bull did sort of feel at home in downtown San Diego as we lumbered past Mexican-inspired architecture towards the financial district. It felt faddish.

But like all fads, it lacked sustainability and real charm. Like Trapper Keepers and the PT Cruiser convertible.

I thank all that is holy for the death of this abomination.

I tried to look past the macabre styling. I hoped it'd perform better than it looked, because it sure wouldn't win any beauty pageants.

Alas, I was disappointed the moment I turned the ram-branded key. The engine note is nearly inaudible at idle, which is a good thing in the long run for most drivers I suppose. But a weak start up usually belies a weak driving experience. And Lou Ferigno the Caliber isn't. During normal driving, the Caliber's exhaust note is unobtrusive to say the least; at times, I forgot I was driving.

That is, until I pressed slightly on skinny pedal, and the Caliber's CVT reared its ugly head. There are no gears like a traditional transmission (hence the name - Continuously Variable Transmission), instead the Dodge transmits power through an expanding and retracting belt. Cool concept, right?

Until you drive it. While the idea is novel, the lack of physical gears gives the Caliber an incredibly tall "gear" ratio. Meaning, acceleration is decidedly not one of this car's strengths. Actually, that's an understatement - I think I could run onto an interstate sporting a pair of PF Flyers while dousing myself with kerosene and a pack's worth of matches, and it'd still be a safer merge than the Caliber's. I know I'm a more performance-oriented driver than most, but I promise this isn't me being a scraggly, reckless youth. The Caliber is pathetically, even dangerously slow - through the mountain road of I5 connecting Los Angeles and Bakersfield, the ice cream truck huffed and puffed but could barely keep pace with traffic at 2000 feet.

What's that you say? "Why didn't you just go faster?" A good question, and a good segue into the next major problem with the CVT: it "downshifts" whenever you breathe on the throttle. There is absolutely no way to be smooth with the Caliber. I know I might come off pedantic for saying so, considering I drive a Malibu now, but trust me. This thing was more frustrating to modulate than the twin disc-clutched, light-flywheeled, untuned Evo I learned to drive manual on.

And I drove that back from the Bronx on the FDR drive and Cross-Bronx Expressway during rush hour. Still the Caliber was worse.

So how does it handle? For some reason that to this day befuddles me, Dodge equipped the SXT model I had with 18s. Yes, 18s on an "economy" car from the factory, 215/55/18 to be exact. At a glance, it seems fantastic - wide tires for an entry level auto, and lower profiles on the Caliber try to downplay the van look. But I couldn't help noticing that these additions probably made the car even worse than it had to be. The Caliber has a surprisingly comfortable ride that you don't normally see in this segment, which is a plus. However, it accomplishes this feat because its suspension is very soft, which means the car will lean a lot. But that's okay, because this isn't the SRT, right?

Normally, that'd be true. But what Dodge did by throwing those large, heavy 18s on the Caliber with lower profile tires is made it into an understeering pig. Sure, the steering was lazy to begin with (but I've yet to find an electrical power steering system that isn't), but the stiff sidewalls and increased wheel mass kill a lot of the turn-in angle the soft suspension provides. The energy is dispersed and wasted, and the tires can't grip well. The car would be better with 16s, which would probably be just big enough to clear the Caliber's front disc brakes. No worries about the back, though, because Dodge opted to stick with drums. As you might expect, the Caliber stops...sort of. Eventually. I once drove a wrecked '97 Altima with better stopping power.

I'm not sure why they prioritized gigantic wheels over better brakes, especially on the second most expensive non-performance model of the line. I'm more concerned with stopping for the child in the road than watching my wheels shine in the light as I drive, personally.

But if you drive a Dodge...well, big shiny things are probably more important to you. Explains why Dodge is still putting chrome accents everywhere they can, even though it stopped being cool years ago.

2013 Malibu: A Contender, Finally?

GM's been pretty skimpy with details about the next generation Malibu, but they've recently released another teaser picture of the next generation's center console.

I like the looks of it, but functionality is another story. I assume it would work much like Ford's MyTouch, but I haven't tried that yet either.

Obviously this isn't the competition for the Focus, but the Fusion/Mondeo, Sonata, Accord, Camry, and Altima. Hopefully GM is going to step their game up more than they did with the Cruze so they'll be true competition.