Starting Lines: Porsche Makes Fuel Efficiency Look Sexy

What do you get when you mix a Carrera GT with a Boxster Spyder, a hybrid and Porsche’s race-winning RS Spyder? One of the coolest concepts we’ve ever laid eyes on. After unveiling a hybrid version of its 911 GT3 race car, Porsche offered up this tasty beauty at the Geneva Auto Show. Based on the carbon fibre tub of the GT, Porsche crammed in the high-revving 500-hp V8 found in the RS Spyder race car, with the addition of 218 hp coming from two axle-mounted electric motors. And it’s all packaged in a Boxster-sized body with some very cool design language. Yup, it looks good, but what about that whole hybrid thing? Well, the 918 matches 0-60 in 3.2-seconds performance with an incredible 2.5L/100 km economy. Usually at this point I have to calm you, the reader, down, saying its just a concept and it will never see the light of day. However, Porsche boss Michael Macht declared they really want to build the 918, and the wheels are in motion in Zuffenhausen to make it a reality. There is hope.

Canadians Go On Spending Spree in March
Politicians and bankers have been proclaiming the recession has been over for a few months now, but if car sales are any indication of Canada’s financial strength, then the recession is all but a memory. The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada (AIAMC), which analyzes such things, reports that no fewer than seven manufacturers set records for March vehicle sales, while the industry as a whole is up 15 percent compared to last year. Breaking records were Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru and even Toyota, despite its ongoing difficulties. Seems as though the cheap gas that we have seen of late has caused Canadians to slip back to their old ways, as light truck sales increased by 21.5 percent compared to a mere 13-percent gain registered by cars.

Introducing the Lexus CT 200h
The Lexus hybrid line-up is already an impressive one, but you can add one more to the mix. Not only does the CT 200h represent a new hybrid, but it also represents an all-new vehicle to do battle in the fast-growing luxury compact segment. The new 5-door hatch features Toyota’s go-to 1.8L 4-cylinder powerplant with VVTi. Helping things along is the Lexus Hybrid Drive featuring a high-performance battery, power control unit, transmission with an electric motor, a power split device to re-allocate power from the engine and electric motor according to operational requirements. The car also boasts four drive modes allowing the driver to use purely electric power, or max power for spirited circumstances. Particular attention has been paid to the aerodynamic efficiency of every aspect of the CT 200h’s design while not compromising interior space. No official word on price or availability; however, don’t expect a long wait.

Happy Birthday VW Bus
It was a vehicle that defined an entire generation. Not many manufacturers have the ability to build such iconic vehicles, but Volkswagen did it twice, with the Beetle and the Bus. It was in March of 1950 that production of a micro-van took place in Wolfsburg, Germany. The resulting vehicle placed the driver in front of the front wheels, and the engine was hanging off the rear. That engine would be the same 1.5L air-cooled flat 4-cylinder that powered the Beetle, making for ease of manufacture and maintenance. The Bus was a hit with hippies, surfers, and all sorts of non-conventionals here in Canada. It would go on to see three more generations that survived to see our streets, including highly sought-after classics like the Westphalia camper van and Syncro 4WD. In 1983, the air-cooled engine was replaced with a water-cooled unit, but it was a little over a decade later when the iconic van’s lineage ended for us here in North America with the Eurovan. Despite a failed effort to recapture the spirit of the Bus with the current Routan, it’s been a long while since we’ve seen anything with the soul and character of the original Bus. As a testament, you’ll still see many examples beach-side with surf boards mounted to the roof. Happy 60th, Bus.

Honda 3R-C Concept Intrigues
With cars becoming as popular as cell phones, several manufacturers have been coming out with some interesting personal transportation concepts lately. The last was GM with its oversized Segway-looking device. This time, Honda is getting minimalistic with the 3R-C, a three-wheeled battery-electric vehicle concept that shows what the future of minimal urban transport might look like. The concept envisions a single occupant vehicle for zero-emission commuting, something that will no doubt become a popular answer to the ever increasing pollution, congestion and parking problems that currently exist in urban centres. The battery-electric drivetrain is mounted low in the three-wheeled chassis, therefore keeping the centre of gravity low and thus improving stability. If you can’t wait for the 3R-C to become reality, there’s always a Honda Ruckus that is the next best thing.

Lotus Jumps Back in Bed With Cossy
You nostalgia fans out there will no doubt remember the dominant Lotus-Ford pairing that led to a mass of Formula One, Touring Car and Rallying championships back in the day. Those Ford powerplants nestled into Lotus chassis were massaged by tuning giant Cosworth. With Lotus jumping back into the F1 game, Cosworth is back in the mix supplying the power in the form of an F1-spec V8. However, Cosworth has also committed to building the Toyota-based racing engines that will power both the Evora Cup cars with the V6, and the 1.8L 4-cylinder that propels the Exige Cup cars. However, it won’t just be the race cars that will receive the coveted Cosworth touch. Expect several up-and-coming high-powered special editions from the Hethel-based manufacturer.

GM selling off Olympic Fleet
The 17 day-long party that was the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is now over, and we here on the west coast are in a bit of a post-Olympic hangover. The tents and grandstands are coming down, the national houses are packing up and heading to the next party, the Germans have ended the emergency flights to Frankfurt to replenish the beer and General Motors has more than 4,600 lightly-used vehicles to find homes for. Yes, GM, the transport sponsor to the games, shipped in 4,600 vehicles to help move athletes, organizers, dignitaries, VIPs and other such important people around Vancouver and Whistler. But now, they don’t need them anymore, and that looks good for anyone looking to get into a new car. Vehicles available are: Chevrolet Equinox, Malibu (Hybrid), Impala, Traverse, Suburban & Tahoe. Buick Lucerne & Enclave. Cadillac DTS, CTS Sport Sedan & Sport Wagon, Escalade (Hybrid) & SRX. GMC Acadia, Terrain, Yukon (Hybrid models available) & Yukon XL. Olympic vehicles will have commemorative Vancouver 2010 medallions adorned with the iconic Inukshuk symbol and Olympic rings on each model. That, and all the vehicles are all “specially-priced,” says GM. Contact your local dealership for more information, as there will likely be few left by the time of printing.

Mercedes F800 Shows Glimpse of Hydrogen Technology
Mercedes-Benz showed up to the Geneva Auto Show ready to show something special. The F800 is said to preview the lines of the upcoming CLS redesign, and packs an electric punch as a plug-in electric hybrid. The concept, at this time, comes with a 272-horsepower gasoline-fed V6 engine, which, with the electric motor, is said to be good for over 400 horsepower, and incorporate an electric-only range of 18 miles. Benz also says that the F800 Style could incorporate a fuel cell powertrain. The F800 also shows a future derivation of Benz’s COMAND all-in-one interior control system that includes a touchpad console which shows a transparent image of the user’s hand, for some reason. But the F800 does give us a glimpse of an evolution of the company’s Distronic Plus system that is optimized for use in traffic jams as well as a 360-degree implementation of its Pre-Safe system that monitors for rear impacts.

Is the LF-A Worth the Hassle?
Exotic supercar manufacturers have been finding ways to make their cars more special and exclusive for years. This usually means building a limited number of cars, charging a huge sum for them, then having the customer meet several prerequisites to be worthy. Lexus seems to be taking a new direction with its introductory supercar, tying potential customers up in bureaucratic red tape. A customer in LA currently trying to prove his worth to Lexus for a shot at one of 500 LF-As has publicized the hoops he’s needed to jump through. First of all, you can’t buy the LF-A, only lease it. If Lexus feels you’re worthy, you have ten days to put down a $10,000 deposit and submit to a credit check. Once cleared, and an additional $50K deposit is handed over, Lexus starts building your LF-A. Production doesn’t start until December, so who knows when you’ll get it, but once you do, you must submit to another credit check. This is because Lexus wants the entire 24-month lease paid upfront. At $12,398.44 USD per month, that’s $237,562.56 due, minus your $60K in deposits. Oh, but there is also a $700 acquisition fee. Then, after the two-year lease is up, if you still like the car, $93,750 is what it will cost to keep the car for yourself. I think we’ll keep dreaming of an R8.

Saab and Spyker CEOs to Pilot Saab 93 in Mille Miglia
The Saab deal is complete, seeing the quirky Swede go to a much more interesting and open automaker, Spyker. Well, the relationship is off to a great start as both companies have announced that Spyker CEO Victor Muller and Saab CEO Jan Åke Jonsson will take on Italy’s famed Mille Miglia road race piloting two 1957 Saab 93s. The 93 was a well-known competitor in rallying during the ‘50s and ‘60s, and the cars both men will compete in are replicas of the car that won the Finnish 1,000 Lakes Rally in 1957. The 93 will be tuned to Group 2 specification featuring an adrenaline-pumping 55-horsepower, 750cc three-cylinder. The historic Mille Miglia event takes place in May, after the time of writing, so let’s hope they did well.