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Exclusive: BMW M4 to debut in Detroit, lose manual transmission

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, BMW

BMW M4 Concept live at Monterey 2013 reveal

BMW took the wraps off its M4 Concept at Pebble Beach last weekend, and many speculated that the highly anticipated production version of the sleek new two-door sports coupe would debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this year. But a well-placed source tells Autoblog that the E92 M3’s successor won’t arrive in Southern California this November. Instead, the German automaker will wait until the Detroit Auto Show in January for its first official reveal.

An all-new 3.0-liter inline-six with twin turbochargers is expected under the hood, and it should provide about the same horsepower as the current 4.0-liter V8 (rated at 414 horsepower), but with much more torque that arrives lower on the tachometer. The lightweight engine is said to have an impressively high redline, which is unusual for a turbocharged engine.

Unfortunately, Save the Manuals members aren’t going to like this next bit of news. After four generations of three-pedal M3 models, our source says the upcoming F82 M4 will arrive with a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) as standard equipment – with no manual option – just like the latest iteration of the track-ready Porsche GT3 (few have complained about the automaker’s PDK after driving the latest sports car from Stuttgart). In exchange for some moans, groans and gripes from enthusiasts, BMW’s DCT mounted aft of the M4’s inline-six will provide quicker acceleration and improved fuel economy.

BMW M4 to debut in Detroit, lose manual transmission originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus boss Templin says brand to lose luxury sales crown over Japan quake

Filed under: Japan, Lexus, Luxury

Lexus has been the king of luxury car sales in the U.S. for over a decade, but Toyota’s high-end brand will likely lose its crown in 2011, due at least in part to the March 11 earthquake in Japan.

Certainly, Lexus was already facing a great deal of pressure from rivals like BMW and Buick, but Automotive News reports that Toyota VP and Lexus Group Manager Mark Templin says dealers are down to a 30-day supply of most models, and that vehicle shortages will be felt as early as this week. The problem is that some key components from Japan come from plants that are still shut down as a result of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Lexus CT 200h is reportedly close to sold out due to the issues.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Lexus ramped up the leasing business three years ago, and those customers will soon be bringing back their luxury rides in large numbers. That’s good news for dealers looking for products to sell, but it’s bad for customers who may not have the ability to purchase a new Lexus model.

The automaker is looking to ease this issue by offering six-month lease extensions. At the same time, Templin knows many customers will simply purchase their lease vehicle outright, and he’s asking dealers not to gouge those customers. The fear is that a shortage of models will result in more demand than supply, which could then jack up the price of Lexus models to unreasonable levels.

Since the automaker appears to be out of the running for the 2011 luxury sales crown, it seems natural that Lexus will come back with a vengeance in 2012. But Templin says the automaker may never again grab the sales crown, since luxury car makers are aiming down-market to improve corporate fuel economy averages. Templin opines that it won’t be long before a luxury car maker hits 500,000 sales in a year.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Lexus boss Templin says brand to lose luxury sales crown over Japan quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Ford’s Sync lose ground to Fiat’s Blue & Me?

Filed under: Technology, Ford, Fiat

It recognizes hundreds of voice commands. It will interface with your Bluetooth-enabled smart phone. It was co-developed with Microsoft. Sounds like Ford’s popular SYNC tech, right? Sure does, but it also smacks of Fiat’s Blue & Me system that has been in production in Europe since 2007. The technology will be available stateside when the tiny Fiat 500 goes on sale early in 2011. The cost? $500 in a base 500, and the system is standard on uplevel Sport and Lounge models.

Like the Fiat 500 itself, Blue & Me certainly sound compelling, but it’s one small niche product in a sea of cars, trucks and crossovers. Perhaps more significant is the fact that Fiat’s infotainment tech could be available in Chrysler products as early as 2012. And while B&M apparently doesn’t do everything as well as SYNC, it also carries some advantages of its own. For instance, 500 Sport and Lounge buyers can shell out an extra $400 for an optional Tom Tom navigation system that interfaces with the voice command system. Fiat also enables drivers to download their driving habits to a USB stick and load it to a website called Eco:Ville. The site will process the data and give drivers tips for more efficient driving.

So will Blue & Me become as popular as SYNC? Who knows, but at the very least it’s nice to see that competition for Ford’s system is on the way.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Fiat 500

2011 Fiat 500

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Will Ford’s Sync lose ground to Fiat’s Blue & Me? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Spyker posts loss, expects to lose more

Filed under: Saab, Earnings/Financials, Spyker

Saab factory sign

An accounting rule, among other things, is ostensibly to blame for Spyker posting a loss and having to declare negative shareholder equity with more liabilities than assets. According to Automotive News, the new owner of Saab had counted General Motor’s $326 million in redeemable preference shares in the company as equity, not a liability. So with the company having just got its factory going in October and only having sold 10,500 cars in the first six months of this year, the hard numbers are a loss of €139.1 million ($177.2M U.S.) on €243.1 million in sales ($309.8M U.S.).

The good news is that sales for the same period last year, before Saab’s plunge into full out cardiac arrest, were €4.1 million ($5.2M USD). The Swedish maker also has €280 million in cash (around $357M) and another €266 million ($339M) untapped from its European Investment Bank loan. Spyker has been saying for a while that profitability would come in 2012 and that it has enough cash and credit to get it there without needing to raise more money.

Its sales projections of 45,000 to 50,000 cars this year, however, might be on some downward pressure. Company CEO Jan Ake Jonsson said that they’re still looking to achieve that low number. Next year’s forecast and the company’s break-even point is understood to remain at 80,000 cars, with 120,000 as the long-term annual sales target.

[Source: Automotive News – sub req’d | Image: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty]

Report: Spyker posts loss, expects to lose more originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Bill Ford admits Blue Oval may lose investors to GM IPO, seems unconcerned

Filed under: Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials

Bill Ford dons sunglasses

Bill Ford, executive officer for Ford Motor Co., seems to be taking a fairly realistic stance when it comes to arch-rival General Motors releasing its IPO. While speaking at the kickoff of this weekend’s Woodward Dream Cruise, Ford said that he was certain that some of his company’s investors would likely move to GM, but he isn’t entirely concerned. Even though Ford stock has slid off from its 52-week high of $14.57 recently, the company’s executive officer said that he doesn’t spend his time fretting over stock prices, preferring instead to worry about steering the company in the best direction possible.

This week, GM filed paperwork to issue an IPO, thought to be one of the largest offerings in America’s history. Until then, Ford had enjoyed the privilege of being the only publicly-traded domestic auto manufacturer after both GM and Chrysler filed bankruptcy in 2009. With a new kid on the block, odds are some money is bound to move toward The General and away from FoMoCo.

[Source: Bloomberg, The Detroit Free Press | Image: Scott Olson/Getty Images]

Report: Bill Ford admits Blue Oval may lose investors to GM IPO, seems unconcerned originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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