Monthly Archives: May 2010
General Motors: Diaper provider?
The Chevrolet Cobalt is old and tired, and in a few months, it’ll be replaced by the vastly superior Chevy Cruze. While the Cobalt may (deservedly) have an inferiority complex, Chevy’s generic sedan has one feather in its cap that the Cruze may never earn: the Cobalt has officially served as a (very) mobile delivery room.
Amanda McBride, Minnesotan and Chevy Cobalt driver, was in labor and driving to the hospital when it became apparent that her baby had an entirely different timetable in mind. Amanda wasn’t going to make it to the hospital. So, did she pull over and give birth on the roadside? Well, no. Instead, McBride told the baby’s father, who can’t drive due to a medical condition, to grab the wheel. She quickly pulled down her pants andgave birth right there. In the driver’s seat. According to McBride, the baby “just slid out.” We’re pretty certain that this is distracted driving at its zenith.
Anyhow, Chevy’s pretty excited about all the free Cobalt publicity for McBride, and to extend the news cyclemake things a bit easier for the new mom, General Motors is springing for a year’s worth of diapers, a stroller, child seats and unspecified quantities of toys and clothing. See? Driving a Cobalt apparently does have its advantages.
Nissan prices 2011 Juke in UK – What should it cost in the States?
It’s a big day for the upcoming Nissan Juke. Not only did Nissan drop UK pricing details on its little run about, but the company also dumped a smattering of new photos on the interwebs at the same time. If you happen to find yourself living in the old empire and want to lay your hands on the new crossover, get ready to shell out around £12,795 for the base model. That equates to around $18,500 at current conversion rates, but includes Britain’s 17.5 percent Value Added Tax. Subtract the VAT and the base MSRP would be around $15,250. That’s a reasonable baseline comparison, but of course, there are other market-specific factors to consider in a price comparison.
The base model packs a 117 horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline engine, though a 110 horsepower diesel mill is also available in ol Blighty. Step up to the 190 horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter and all-wheel drive, and you’re looking at a final price tag of £19,995 – around $23,850 after converting from the mighty pound and ditching the VAT. At that price point, buyers are treated to a new XTRONIC CVT with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive.
Those numbers should give us a feel for how the 2011 Nissan Juke will be priced once it hits our shores, though don’t hold us to it. The oddly styled Juke is deceptively small and will likely straddle the various segments in the entry-level class. Off-hand, we can see it doing battle with the forthcoming Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, the Suzuki SX4, inexpensive ‘box’ cars like the Kia Soul, along with basic hatchbacks.
Be sure to check the gallery for the rash of new photos, hit the jump for the full press release, and most importantly, vote on where you think the Juke needs to be priced when it comes in the states in our poll below.
Lotus to euthanize Europa this year
Given the recent launch of the more practical Evora, it shouldn’t come as surprise that Lotus will be ceasing production of the ill-fated Europa later this year. According to our sources, European dealers have stopped taking orders for the Elise-based coupe and production will wind down within the next few months to fill what few orders remain.
Just as a refresher, the Europa launched in 2006 with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four putting out around 200 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, and in hindsight, it was likely a stopgap used by Lotus to fill the need for a larger, more compliant coupe before the Evora debuted last year. Three variants were available, including the S and SE, the latter of which got a boost in output to 220 hp and an equal amount of torque in early 2008. We never got a shot behind the wheel, but judging by our drive of the all-new Evora, there’s no love lost.
Report: Next Infiniti M and G to share platform with Mercedes-Benz E Class?
Renault-Nissan and Daimler recently announced a strategic alliance that promised technology and facility sharing that could result in the saving of over $1 billion per year. We’ll have to wait a while before we can see any parts or factory sharing, but that isn’t stopping the rumormill from running rampant.
The latest tease comes courtesy of Japanese enthusiast rag Best Car, which claims that the Infiniti M and Gwill share a common platform architecture with the Mercedes E-Class. The move would make sense from a money-saving perspective, as Infiniti could save hundreds of millions of dollars in development costs. Daimler could reap huge sums of savings through increased economies of scale, while likely receiving funding from Renault-Nissan to help pay for the costs of developing the architecture. The two companies are reportedly also looking into sharing engines, factory space in the U.S. and possibly even commercial vans.
But while it makes sense for Daimler to share the E-Class platform with Infiniti from a cash standpoint, we’re taking this bit of news with a healthy dose of skepticism. Infiniti already has an excellent rear-wheel drive platform and there’s a good chance that it’s cheaper to build. But then again, if Daimler and Renault-Nissan are truly serious about saving over $1 billion per year, these are exactly the kinds of parts-sharing agreements that will help them reach their cost-saving goals.
Rumormill: Bugatti developing secret Continental GT-based electric supercar
With production of the Veyron coming to an end, speculation has been rampant over what Bugatti will build next. A super-sedan based on the 16C Galibier concept could still get the green light. A 1,200-horsepower “Super Veyron” has also re-entered the rumor mill of late. Even an entry-level roadster was mooted at one point. But a new project could give us a clearer (and more radical) picture than ever before.
According to the rumormongers over at Auto Express, Bugatti is currently working on a massively powerful electric supercar that could eclipse the notions of what was previously thought possible with battery power. A test mule based on sister-company Bentley’s ubiquitous Continental GT is reportedly undergoing testing at present, powered by two giant electric motors and an advanced lithium-ion power cell to deliver the equivalent of 800 horsepower and some 1,600 lb-ft of torque, all available instantly from a standstill. Yowza!
Such technology would doubtlessly draw from the work sister-company Audi has been doing with its successive e-Tron concepts. But as AE points out, this wouldn’t be the first time Bugatti has experimented with electric power: Back in its heyday under founder Ettore Bugatti’s direction, the original company built theType 56. Originally built as a one-off, public demand prompted the Molsheim marque to bring it to market.
The rumored Continental-based prototype may be strictly a one-off at the moment, but if demand could force the Type 56 to market in the 1930s, it certainly could do the same today.
