Future Cars: Luxury Hybrids and Electrics

Many of you may be wondering what to expect with hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years? The market for hybrid and electric vehicles is expected to boom over the coming 12-24 months, with options ranging from hybrid vehicles, to plug-in hybrid vehicles to pure electric vehicles and range-extender electric. Could you be driving an electric or hybrid in the next few years?

Here’s what we can look forward to seeing in the coming years:

Chevrolet Volt:

Powertrain: Plug-in electric with range-extender fuel engine

What makes it great: GM’s ultra high-mile Chevy Volt plug-in electric vehicle is said to get 230 mpg. If GM pulls this off they could reclaim the green from Toyota.

Honda CR-Z hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Honda’s well of fun little sports cars runs deep and the CR-Z clearly brings up memories of the light and fantastic (and fuel-sippin’) CRX hatchback. Add a hybrid system and they might have found a new formula for the hatchback crowd.

Audi Q5 hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Audi hasn’t been quick to debut hybrid systems in their vehicles, choosing mostly to stick to diesels. This Q5 could be their way of testing the water by putting their toe in the water.

BMW 7-series hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: BMW’s new 7-series hybrid should differentiate itself by providing extra oomph (442 lb-ft of torque will be on tap).

Buick “Baby Enclave”:
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid
Why It’s Great: If Buick is truly going to become a great American brand again, they need to start innovating. This system should use the same running gear as the 230-mpg Chevy Volt, making this new Buick an exciting one to watch.

Fisker Karma:
Powertrain: Plug-in electric with range-extender fuel engine

Why It’s Great: Arguably one of the most beautiful new designs on the road, the Karma should do for the nascent Fisker brand what all great cars do: garner maximum attention. That the Karma will be one of the first plug-in electric vehicles available on the market, it should have about a year on its own before the major manufacturers start competing with it head on.

Honda Fit hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: The Fit could become one of the cheapest hybrids on the market today, creating a wave of new hybrid owners. Right now the cheapest hybrid on the market is the Fit’s older brother, the Honda Insight, but at about $20,000 that is still out of reach for many buyers.

Mercedes-Benz ML450 hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: With a 3.5-liter V6 a trusy battery pack, the ML450 hybrid can go 1.8 miles or up to 34 mph on battery power alone (take that, 2010 Prius).

Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid :
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: At 29 miles per gallon combined, the S400 can boast about more than just its Mercedes-Benz badge on its hood.

Nissan 370Z hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: A hybrid sports car? Isn’t this blasphemy? Well, in some circles it just might be; in others, not so much. The idea of a 370Z hybrid is something along the lines of pure speculation at this point, but we do know Nissan and Infiniti are working on their own hybrid system and internal plans continue to look into its use on the famous Z sports car.

Nissan Leaf:
Powertrain: Plug-in electric
Why It’s Great: Nissan claims the Leaf will have a fuel equivalent of 367 miles per gallon. That’s not a typo. For now, though, the Leaf is still just a prototype. Expect it to come to market in a year or so in limited markets, mostly in the west.

Porsche Cayenne hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Porsche has big plans for its big truck and it’s no secret that many of its buyers have interest in hybrid powertrains (and, no doubt, the money to pay for such a luxury). Expect the Cayenne hybrid to carry a premium price tag and something near 25 MPG.

Porsche Panamera hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Porsche is now making a sedan called the Panamera.  Since luxury sedan buyers now expect hybrids as part of an options package, Porsche will feature a parallel hybrid system (meaning it can drive under electric power, gasoline power, or both), meaning it will travel on electric power up to 70 miles per hour.

Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid :
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid
Why It’s Great: A Prius is already a hybrid that gets 50 mpg, but Toyota is readying a plug-in hybrid version of the car, making it even more efficient. Toyota says that plug-in hybrid versions of its Prius hatchback are veraging 65 miles per gallon in real-world testing.

Volvo V70 hybrid:
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid
Why It’s Great: Volvo is expected to launch its hybrid system (a plug-in one, at that) in their famous wagon lineup. The V70 has long been a Volvo classic (think of old 240 Volvo station wagons from the 80s and 90s) and the company’s first hybrid system makes sense to launch here first. There are also rumors that Volvo is launching a hybrid or electric version of its small C30 hatchback, too

* Reference Autochannel.com

Porsche Adds New Panamera Models to Already Successful Collection

Announced Today: The addition of two new Panamera Models to Porsches’ collection. Porsche just released it just three months after successfully launching the first four-door Gran Turismo in three V8 designs: the Panamera S, the Panamera 4S and the Panamera Turbo. The Panamera and Panamera 4, the model line’s new versions, can be found in most Porsche Dealerships and of course here at L.A. Car Connection by June 2010. Both feature a brand-new 3.6-liter V6 with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) developing 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The Panamera spreads its power to the road by its newly designed rear wheels, while the Panamera 4 comes standard with active all-wheel drive. Both exquisitely built. The Panamera and Panamera 4 are examples of the Porsche Intelligent Performance development strategy. With more and more people going “green” these models are equipped with the PDK gearbox and the Auto Start Stop function. Porsche anticipates these new models to be significantly more fuel efficient than their normally aspirated V8 siblings. Like the proven V8 models, both the Panamera and the Panamera 4, as genuine Gran Turismos, combine a sporting character with the high standard of comfort and everyday driving traits. This provides a wide range of suspension qualities and features, with a high level of motoring comfort on the one hand and extremely sporting driving dynamics on the other. Both models will be making their world debut at the Beijing Motor Show on April 23, 2010. The Panamera and Panamera 4 MSRPs are $74,400 and $78,900, respectively. Since its U.S. introduction in October 2009, the Panamera has received numerous awards and recognition. The Panamera Turbo was named Playboy Magazine’s 2010 Car of the Year.

Can Your Car Last 1,000,000 Miles ?

When it comes to making a vehicle last — I mean truly last — Irv Gordon has set the standard. The retired science teacher paid $4,150 for his 1966 Volvo P1800 when it was new (at that time it was almost as much as his annual salary as a science teacher), and over the years he’s put 2.7 million miles on the car.

Gordon said that he spends less than $1,000 on vehicle maintenance and repair each year–and that’s averaged out to include the two engine rebuilds he’s had done over the 40-plus years of ownership.

Today a million miles, or even 500,000 miles, is still extremely unusual for a vehicle. But nowadays, passing the 200,000-mile mark is no longer the rare occasion it once was.

Consumer Reports, through its annual questionnaire, has found that thousands of people have gone over 200,000 miles in their original vehicles without catastrophic failures or major repairs. If a vehicle is very cheap to maintain and repair, it might be a good choice to keep to high miles even if it’s not a standout for reliability.

Read the Owner’s Manual!  – When people ask Irv Gordon–the guy with the 2.7-million-mile car–what they should do to follow his example, he has some surprisingly simple advice. “I always tell people the first thing to do is read the owner’s manual,” he said. Gordon, other experts, and reports from high-mileage drivers all emphasize that you shouldn’t cut any corners on routine maintenance.

Diligent maintenance can make “profound differences,” according to Dillon, in how long your vehicle lasts. In addition to the maintenance required by the manufacturer, he recommends regular flushing of critical fluids such as for the transmission, brakes, and power steering.

“Generally you don’t need to maintain it more often than the owner’s manual specifies,” assessed Kahn from his own experience. But he did emphasize the importance of being pre-emptive with some repair or maintenance items, ie the timing belt.

Be Proactive And Pre-Emptive –  Repairing preemptively — replacing belts and hoses long before they’re in danger of failing–and never ignoring new noises or vibrations, might be the best tip of all. It’s abundantly clear that the most successful high-mileage owners are those who understand the cost-effectiveness and importance of addressing the small problem before it becomes a larger one.

Passionate Penny-Pinching  – And that leads to a final, and especially important, point: After all these years, Gordon still really likes his little Volvo coupe. Typically, owners of high-mileage vehicles still like them — or at the very least the competitive aspect of seeing how far they can get without problems.

In 2007, Consumer Reports projected — figuring in depreciation, maintenance, repairs, finance costs, fees, and insurance — that drivers could save more than $20,000, typically, by keeping a new vehicle for 15 years and 225,000 miles versus getting a new one every five years.

Last 8 days to Purchase your New Vehicle with 2009 Tax Write off:

The IRS is handing back $1,000 plus on a new car purchase this year. This is a new provision of the Senate’s Version of the economic stimulus bill. The measure, approved by the Senate, would make auto loan interest and state sales tax deductible from federal income tax.

The 2009 stimulus package signed into law by President Obama includes a valuable tax break for people who buy new cars, pickups, motorcycles and motor homes.

“You could save as much as 10% off the price of a new car by writing off state and local sales taxes. “Imagine if you buy a $30,000 car, your sales tax is nearly $3,000. You take a $3,000 deduction right off your federal income tax for 2009.” Says one dealership owner in California.

However, there are a few guidelines that must be followed:

•The deduction is limited to the state and local sales and excise taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of the new vehicle.

•The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers.

•The vehicle must be purchased after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010, to qualify for the deduction.

•The deduction cannot be claimed on 2008 tax returns.

So you may want to consider a new car purchase more seriously before this tax incentive expires on January 1, 2010. Come down to L.A. Car Connection and let us help you choose your next vehicle.

Why one should always remember to bring toilet paper to Willow Springs Race Track:

“Whoa….that was even a close one for me.” Says Derek Bell, 5 time Le Mans Winner and famous sports car racer in England.  Bell made this comment as he was going into a right hand turn at a speed in excess of 130 mph; standing on the brake pedal, in the soon to be released, 2010 Bentley Continental Supersport…..and I was riding shot gun.

At the willow springs race track, they don’t take racing lightly. Being a L.A Car Connection’s account executive, I had the opportunity to partake in the Bentley Supersport Driving Event on October 21, 2009.

The event started with a group of us not knowing what to expect for the day. The instructor came out to explain to us of the four exercises planned for day.  The scene was exhilarating. There were over a dozen of the new, and some not even released, 2010 Bentleys there.

After some much needed instructions on the day’s actives, we got all “geared up” for the first exercise.

The first exercise was the electronic stability program exercise.  The exercise was performed in a Bentley that DID NOT have ESP Control. We were instructed to lay on the gas as hard as we possibly could and then once we got to the orange cones(after reaching approximately 40 mph), to let their foot of the gas and turn the steering wheel to the left as hard as we could, then immediately turn the steering wheel to the right. This exercise was designed to simulate the everyday occurrences that can happen to the everyday driver.  The Bentley spun out of control.

The second exercise was very similar except this time we drove the same Bentley WITH ESP control. This time when we reached the cones we were going about 80 mph. We repeated the same immediate left and right turn, and much to our relief we had complete control of the automobile. The ESP control that Bentley has installed in their automobiles is a phenomenal. Hopefully all manufactures will incorporate something of this nature in all vehicles to add to the many safety feature found in today’s vehicles.

The third exercise was the slalom course. This is what we had all been waiting for.  After the first two exhilarating exercises we didn’t know what to expect. This exercise was set up with ten cones spaced about 15 ft apart and we were instructed to weave the Bentley in out and around the cones. With zero roll and sway, the Bentley handled this course remarkably.

When our instructor handed us a helmet we were required to wear for this exercise, we then knew why we needed to bring the toilet paper. We were told it was basic exercise of going around the racetrack. Then we were told we were going to be doing this at a rate of speed in excess 100 mph.  This exercise was to allow us, the driver to really experience the power, the finesse and the true capabilities of the Bentley Supersport. What a remarkable automobile!

The day ended with one more trip around the track for each other of us. We were able to experience a true racecar driver, Derek Bell and his ability to handle this car as I have never seen done before. The speed matched with the control , left Derek with a statement of, “Whoa, even that was close for me.”