Friday, April 30, 2010

SIX 2011 HYUNDAI SEDANS - NEW ACCENT & NEW ELANTRA JOIN SONATA, GENESIS, AZERA AND ALL-NEW EQUUS

Pictures have just been released of the next Hyundai Elantra. To be honest, what you see here is actually the 2011 Hyundai Avante. This car will become either the 2011 Hyundai Elantra or 2012 Hyundai Elantra for North American consumption. 

Hyundai is, of course, one of the world's fastest growing automakers. Just think of the company's U.S. sales from the first quarter of 2010. Hyundai Accent sales; up. Hyundai Elantra sales; up. Hyundai Sonata sales; up. Hyundai Genesis sales; up. Hyundai Tucson sales; up. Hyundai Santa Fe sales; up. 

Compared with the first quarter of 2009, only the Hyundai Veracruz and Hyundai Azera suffered declining sales in the first three months of 2010. (The Tiburon and Entourage have been put out to pasture.) Most interestingly, sales of the 2010 Hyundai Accent have risen despite it being an aged model with a new generation on the way. Similarly, the 2010 Hyundai Elantra is, as described above, due for a replacement. (Elantra sales have been helped by the addition of the Touring bodystyle.) 

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata sent sales of the midsize Hyundai straight in to the Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In America list for March. And Hyundai has plans for an additional sedan to sit above the Genesis. The Hyundai Equus is a behemoth fit for fighting the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series. In the real world, the world we actually live in, the Equus will line up with cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, and Lincoln MKS. Maybe.

In the Gallery you'll check out after the jump, the eye isn't drawn to Hyundai's Sales Stats or traditionally low prices but to.... dare I say it, style. Of the six Hyundai sedans you'll see in the Hyundai showroom of the future, only one car is at all dowdy. For certain, the five latest designs stem from a specific design ethos, one that stands up to far more exclusive vehicular familes.

Sure, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata divides opinion. But as has been pointed out on GoodCarBadCar.net before, the Sonata is inarguably styled, more than can be said of the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord or a bunch of other members of the midsize sedan segment.

Meanwhile, up a couple notches on the scale sits the Hyundai Genesis. A two-time Good 12 winner on GoodCarBadCar.net, the Genesis isn't knock-your-socks-off delicious but it features clean and classy lines.

Further on, the flagship Hyundai Equus is very much a Genesis on steroids. I'd like to see a more modern grille, but the car does look distinctly rear-wheel drive; and very expensive, too.

Stuck in the middle is the ageing Hyundai Azera. On the road the Azera is on the classy side of bland. Competing with the ultra-blaa Toyota Avalon required little of Hyundai before the gorgeous Buick LaCrosse and strong Ford Taurus arrived. 

And now the two new cars, the smallest Hyundai sedans. Sedan shapes don't normally work on the smallest of cars - just compare the dreadful Ford Fiesta sedan with the handsome Ford Fiesta hatchback. Opinion should be reserved until the Accent sedan is seen in the flesh, but the pictures of this, the 2011 Hyundai Verna, bode well. Slightly larger and far more dynamic is the 2011/2012 Hyundai Elantra. This car clearly uses the Sonata as inspiration yet the Avante/Elantra might actually pull the theme off with more success. Check out all the images in the slideshow below.



Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Aston Martin Design Similarities - Profile View
Hyundai Genesis Police Car Snapped.... In Korea
Galleries - Hyundai Equus, Sonata 2.0T & Sonata Hybrid
Hyundai Sonata vs Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry - Strictly Numbers

FUTURE AUTO PREDICTIONS - WHAT MAY HAPPEN AT FORD, TOYOTA, SCION, FIAT, FERRARI, SMART AND CHEVROLET THIS YEAR

In honour of the month of May, The Good Car Guy is ready to make some predictions. Except, we're not about to foster commitment on these predictions. So, with tomorrow being the first of May, here are seven things which MAY happen in the automotive world in 2010.

Ford may raise prices of the Ford Focus when the 2012 model arrives. Already, the 2011 Ford Fiesta has a model with the highest base price of any subcompact for sale in America, indicating a true rub-up-against scenario with the Focus. Chances are the Fiesta's prices won't drop, particularly if it's as popular as it could be.

The Toyota Camry may end 2010 as America's best-selling car... again. The perennial best-seller is well on its way. March was an especially good month. True, Toyota has placed more incentives on the hood of their vehicles than in the past, but the 2010 Toyota Camry isn't just out-selling the opposition - the first three months of 2010 have been better for the Camry than the first three months of 2009.

Toyota's Scion iQ may temporarily extinguish smart fortwo sales. It didn't happen in Europe, and it's not so likely in Canada where the smart car has maintained more of its desirability. Yet in the United States, where smart sales tumble and tumble and tumble, the Scion iQ may show up in the cafeteria this fall; steal the smart fortwo's lunch; eat the smart fortwo's lunch; sit beside the smart fortwo's friends; and beat up the smart fortwo before third period French.

Fiat may price the 500 appropriately. In the UK, even the nicer versions of the non-Abarth Fiat 500 are less expensive than a basic Mini Cooper. Not that the Mini Cooper is the last word in "cheap", but all this talk about the Fiat 500 being a direct competitor for the Mini may be misguided. Unless, of course, Fiat & Chrysler are misguided about how upmarket the Marketplace will really swing for a premium small car. Because friends, the Fiat 500 is small. The Mini Cooper has a base price in the USA of $18,800. Perhaps we could see a Fiat 500 around $16,995, or is $17,500 more likely? Chrysler dealers should be selling the Fiat 500 in December.

Pictures of the Ferrari 458 Spider may cause lightheadedness, dizziness, trembling, and in some cases, fainting. Ferrari's 458 Italia is already one of the best-looking Ferraris of the last couple decades. Apart from the Ferrari 550 Barchetta (which was, admittedly, a pretty decent machine), Ferrari convertibles are jaw-droppers. The Ferrari 458 Italia seems to have a body even more suited to toplessness.

GoodCarBadCar.net's long-term smart fortwo may hit 48 miles per gallon this summer. Up to this point, the GCBC smart has not been able to enjoy warm temperatures while run-in. Last summer, fuel economy was certainly decent, but the smart car was 'green'. Now, with about 9,000 kilometres under its belt on the odometer, warm temperatures could mean the smart's summer's best of 41.3 from a slow jaunt across Prince Edward Island last summer could accelerate toward the efficiency stratosphere.

General Motors may sell a Chevrolet Volt or three in 2010. It's been a long time coming, but the Chevrolet Volt is undergoing final testing and this car could be the genuine expression of 'future car'. Imagine a car that uses fuel when necessary but plugs in to your house for a fill-up. Imagine an electric car with no limit on its range. Then apply these newfangled characteristics to a vehicle capable of normal acceleration and 4-passenger comfort. Tres bien.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Everything Volt
U.S. Sales Of Subcompact Cars - March 2010
America's Top 5 Best-Selling Cars - 2009 Year End Edition
2011 Scion iQ - Projected Price & MPG
When Pontiac Dies; Fiat Arrives
GoodCarBadCar.net's Long-term Smart Fortwo Updates
Ferrari 458 Italia Gallery
Thursday, April 29, 2010

GM TO BRING CHEVROLET TO KOREA - BY THE NUMBERS

General Motors announced yesterday that Chevrolet, the most famous and best-selling of its four brands, will be introduced in Korea next year. GM has been a player in Korea for a long time, especially since the American conglomerate took control of Daewoo in 2002. Daewoo, now GM Daewoo, had been affiliated with with General Motors for a long time, licensing the production of older GM models in decades past. This move to sell the Chevrolet brand in South Korea, however, isn't meant to replace Daewoo models but to coexist with the native Korean company.

For a small country, South Korea has a gigantic population. More than 50,000,000 people live on a peninsula smaller than the state of Virginia. Though that sounds like a perfect recipe for traffic jams - and it is - the Korean automotive market remains hugely active. In March, for instance, the best-selling car was the Hyundai i45. Known here as the Hyundai Sonata, the i45 sold 14,575 copies. That's only a few thousand fewer sales than Hyundai achieved with the Sonata in the United States last month. Clearly it would be beneficial for GM's largest brand to play in a burgeoning market.

So, Chevrolet is westward bound to the Far East. Although it's not exactly clear which models Chevrolet will attempt to sell in South Korea, one model that's definitely on the way is the Camaro. The Chevrolet Camaro has shared a showstand with GM Daewoo, and GM is using the Camaro in its promotional materials for this move to Korea. 

South Korea will mark Chevrolet's 131st market when sales officially begin in 2011. For plenty more Numbers relating to Chevrolet's global impact, keep reading after the jump.


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80 - percentage of Koreans who are aware of Chevrolet's bow-tie logo, according to GM's market research

100 - birthday to be celebrated next year for Chevrolet; ten decades since the company was founded by Louis Chevrolet

44 - percentage of GM's global sales attributed to the Chevrolet brand

3,300,000 - total worldwide Chevrolet sales in 2009

100 - percentage growth in worldwide Chevrolet sales from 2005 to 2009

133,165 - Chevrolet vehicles sold in the United States in March of 2010

11,344 - Chevrolet vehicles sold in Canada in March of 2010

9,434 - total GM Daewoo sales in South Korea in March of 2010

53,212 - total GM Daewoo sales outside of South Korea in March of 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

CAPARO T1 ACROSS THE UK - ANGLESEY TO SNETTERTON

Legally, yes, the Caparo T1 is a road car. In all honesty, however, the Caparo T1 is scarecely fit for the types of situations you find yourself in day after day. Sitting in traffic on the #401 outside Toronto? A survivable activity in your Ford Escape; not so fun in a Caparo T1. Parking in between a Chevrolet Suburban and a Mercedes-Benz E550 on the sixth level of a downtown parking garage? Doable when driving a Toyota Yaris; not quite so easy in a Caparo T1.

That being said, evo magazine's Roger Green decided to put the Caparo T1 to the test in real-life scenarios. First, of course, evo allowed the Caparo T1 to limber up with a few laps of the Anglesey Circuit in northwest Wales. The final destination is 305 miles across England to Snetterton in Norfolk, past Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham.... down "motorways"... in the rain.... farther than the Caparo T1's development team had even driven the car in one go-'round. Check it out in the video below. It's actually rather fascinating stuff.

Initial plans only called for 100 examples of the Caparo T1 to be built. The Caparo's V8, as you'll recall, generates 575 horsepower at a screaming 10,500rpm. 575 bhp may not sound like much in an age of 1000 bhp Bugattis and run of the mill Mercedes AMGs with more than 600 horses, but the Caparo T1 weighs barely more than 1,500 pounds, 300 pounds less than GCBC's long-term smart fortwo. Granted, price of the Caparo T1 is somewhere around $350,000.

Come on back to GoodCarBadCar.net a little later to see the best choices for driving across the UK. The cars involved must be able to lap the circuits at Anglesey and Snetterton, though.




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100 Favourite Cars - Part III
Caparo T1 Police Car
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

SMART FORTWO - REPLACING OUR LONG-TERMER ACROSS THE POND

Talk at GoodCarBadCar Towers has recently turned to a replacement for the 2009 smart fortwo long-term tester in our care. Oh, don't worry - it's a long way off. This conversation stems mainly from watching a few video test drives of the Toyota iQ, the future North American version of which will be named Scion iQ. The Good Car Girl is an absolute believer in the merits of small cars. Few larger vehicles of any kind even merit her consideration.

Still, the second long-term vehicle at GoodCarBadCar.net should be something unique, right? I mean, you start off with a smart car and switch to a.... Toyota Corolla? Gimme a break. If the goal is to share what life's like in a vehicle they haven't considered/want to consider/refuse to consider, what's the point in doing so in a vehicle they can find out about from thirteen of their neighbours?

Nevertheless, a few popular vehicles have crept into the discourse. Notably, the Jeep Wrangler, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Mini Cooper. Rather at odds with one another they may be, but each has their appeal. Jeeps are... well, Jeeps. The Wrangler has been a member of both The Good 12 Supersize and The Good 12 Supersize v2.0. The Good Car Girl had the privilege of running a Hyundai Santa Fe in the past and enjoyed it to the fullest. The official line from GoodCarBadCar.net has nothing against the wildly successful Korean SUV, either. Finally, the Mini Cooper is a long-time favourite; a member of The Good 12, The Good 12 v2.0, and The Good 12 v3.0.

A handful of future small cars attract attention, of course. The 2011 Ford Fiesta is a handsome hatchback (and an ugly sedan) with European driving manners and available SYNC. General Motors previewed the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo with the aggressive Aveo RS concept in Detroit. Sharing a platform with the Fiesta, the 2011 Mazda 2 is attractive, light, and unpretentious. Won't we be seeing a Volkswagen Polo before long? That could be a good thing. Then there are really small cars like the Volkswagen up! and Scion iQ and Mitsubishi i. Don't forget the smart fortwo electric drive, a very interesting proposition.

But what if we weren't restricted to models in the North American Marketplace? What if we could go Across The Pond and bring something back free from tariffs and surcharges and duty? Put another way, how do you replace a smart fortwo in Europe? In that case, the vehicles you'll see after the jump would be strong contenders as replacements for the first long-term tester at GoodCarBadCar.net.

-----

CITROEN DS3: More of a competitor for the Mini Cooper than other similarly-sized hatches in Europe, the DS3 is uniquely French both inside and out. Citroen calls the DS3 "anti-retro". I think you know who they're referencing with that tagline. (Check out images in the slideshow below.)

FIAT PANDA 100HP: Mentioned time after time on GCBC, the Panda is basically a more practical version of the modern Fiat 500. In 100HP form, the Panda whistles down backroads like a nimble hot hatch. But this hot hatch is priced like a modest city car. £11,005 is less than a base Citroen DS3.

FORD KUGA: What the future holds for the Kuga in North America we can't be absolutely sure, but Europeans can have it now. Priced from a faintly eye-watering £21,503 in the UK (probably $24,500 in the U.S. to be honest), the Kuga isn't a budget mini-SUV but a viable family car with tall car ambitions. And it looks really good.

HONDA CIVIC: Hold on a second, the Honda Civic you drive ain't nothin' like the Honda Civic they drive. Unless you drive a Civic Hybrid, in which case their Honda Civic Hybrid is identical. Instead, take for example a basic Honda Civic 3-door hatchback, a car not offered to North Americans in eons. Shaped like nothing else Honda's done in North America ever, the Honda Civic hatchback enjoyed by inhabitants of the rest of the world is strikingly modern and available with a 2.2L diesel. They call it the i-CTDi. It generates 138 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque and would likely achieve somewhere around 42 miles per gallon in typical driving on our side of the pond. 




Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
LBS/BHP - Smart Fortwo vs Other Cars
The Good 12 v3.0 Part X - Smart Fortwo
Top 5 Bad Smart Fortwo Facts
Smart Fortwo 3 To Beat
2009 Smart Fortwo Pure - Driven
Monday, April 26, 2010

THE TEN WORST SELLING CARS IN CANADA - MARCH 2010

When The Good Car Guy first began contemplating the insertion of a Worst Sellers Graph into the exhaustive monthly rundown of Sales Stats info available on GoodCarBadCar.net, it quickly became obvious that luxury cars had to be excluded. Though not designed to sell in low Numbers, luxury cars are priced at a point where low sales volumes can be tolerated. 

Can the same be said of sports cars which compete with luxury cars? Perhaps. But a line had to be drawn somewhere, and that line is in the middle of a very grey area. Thus, the Chevrolet Corvette is a luxury car from a mainstream brand; not eligible for the Worst Sellers list. But the Mazda RX-8? Well, the RX-8 isn't that expensive, and it is sold in mainstream Mazda dealers alongside the Mazda 3, Mazda 5, Mazda 6, and Mazda CX-7. Eligible it will be.

What about the Mazda MX-5 Miata? Miatas are low volume roadsters - they don't need to be exploited for the purpose of motor mockery, do they? Numerous sporty machines sell better: the Nissan 370Z, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Volkswagen GTI as examples. Vehicles ignored for the purposes of the Graph you'll see below included officially discontinued models and cars from dead brands. Yes, the Pontiac Solstice was not the most successful in March. That should be obvious without showcasing its lackluster (7) sales from last month.

CANADIAN SALES OF SUBCOMPACT CARS - MARCH 2010

No doubt helped by frequent advertising of its $9,999 base price, the Hyundai Accent was Canada's best-selling subcompact car in March. In hatchback form, the 2010 Hyundai Accent is still a cute little thing, particularly with the GL Sport's bigger wheels, tinted glass, and rear spoiler. A new Hyundai Accent is on its way, however, and based on recent Hyundai designs, it won't be dull. The Hyundai Sonata and Hyundai Tucson may not be your cup of tea, but they don't go with the flow.

There are a few vehicles standing in the Accent's way of maintaining its reign. Forecasted by the Chevrolet Aveo RS  concept, the next Chevy subcompact should be a looker. Hype has been building.... and building.... and building for the long-awaited Ford Fiesta, too. With a new Hyundai Accent coming, a new Kia Rio can't be far behind, either. And Scion will be playing in the Canadian sandbox soon, as well. The Scion iQ could steal sales from the smart fortwo... and from the Toyota Yaris. Check out March's Sales Stats in the Graph below.

CLICK GRAPH FOR LARGER VIEW

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Saturday, April 24, 2010

HYUNDAI GENESIS POLICE CAR SNAPPED.... IN KOREA

Autoblog was tipped to a Korean website showcasing a Hyundai Genesis police vehicle. Unfortunately, I don't speak - or read - Korean and can't be of any use translating the information that comes with a picture of the big handsome Genesis sedan. My experience eating Korean food cooked by a Korean in my kitchen only educated me as far as kimchi. Is this Hyundai Genesis specially outfitted car in any way? Hire a translator. Because Babelfish didn't work out so well.

"First synthesis or the gun [syap] without being this absoluteness, reveals. From the Seoul blue traffic patrol important business (VIP events) with the Taurus whom uses became great difference with the fourth cis. Light storehouse etc. is light style light storehouse etc. attaches generally in the light Hu patrol car and the whole aspect left/right 3 does put on uniqueness all (at the time of the induction ceremony that the flagpole is only omitted, draws out and will be national flag month is the difference which is not)."

Google Translate didn't offer anything of substance, either.

"Synthetic or not the first absolute disclaims posyap. Traffic Patrol seoulcheong the important work (VIP event) Taurus was running for the Genesis is the balance. Light the lights on Hoyong typically is attached to a patrol car flashing lights and uijeonyong rayiteubahyeong Left / Right 3 is omitted Flagstaff yisaekjeok ipni All (except chwiimsikttae Flag chayini not 12 months)."

The Hyundai Genesis is available in our market with a 4.6L V8 or a 3.8L V6. Cops would love the Genesis's largesse, its rear-wheel drive configuration, and the big car's easy mannerisms. Curiously, it appears the Ford Taurus is brought to our attention in the Korean text. Then again, so are flag poles and VIPs. The Good Car Guy's attempt at translating is below.

"It is the desire of Hyundai to have VIPs hang a national flag. To help the VIPs get to Hyundai's flagpole, Hyundai was going to use the new Ford Taurus Police Interceptor before realizing that a few decals and a hefty lightbar would turn the Hyundai Genesis into a perfect police cruiser."


Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Pics & Specs
Top 5 Unconventional Police Car Choices
Kia Soul Patrol Car In The UK
The Good 12 v3.0 Part IV - Hyundai Genesis 4.6
The Future Of Police Cars In Pictures

CONCEPT GALLERIES - MERCEDES-BENZ SHOOTING BRAKE & BMW GRAN COUPE

Mercedes-Benz says the Shooting Brake Concept is a "further insight by Mercedes designers into the possible future development of the Coupe concept". BMW says the Gran Coupe "sets new benchmarks in the design of 4-door coupes with a distinctive sporty character". Yet, and let me be careful how bold I am in advancing traditional theory, the BMW Gran Coupe has FOUR DOORS and the Mercedes-Benz Shooting Brake Concept is a five-door STATION WAGON. Caps lock... on GoodCarBadCar.net? Yes, that's exactly what you had to witness. Coupes, in the simplest definition, are cars with two doors.

And it's nothing against the cars. These concept cars from the greatest and mightiest luxury automakers in the world are gorgeous, particularly the Mercedes-Benz Shooting Brake. As an outgrowth of the CLS-Class, the Shooting Brake Concept would be a direct competitor for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon but would sell at a higher price point with much lower volume. The BMW Gran Coupe Concept would inevitably steal some sales from the BMW 7-Series and from the BMW M5, but the Germans always seem to feel they need to be in each others' niches, no matter how minute the niche. And since Mercedes-Benz has the CLS-Class, BMW wants to give consumers an option.

Peruse auto enthusiast websites long enough and you'll be unable to quantify the complaints regarding pointless vehicles like, well... these two, the BMW X6, the Volkswagen Passat CC, the Acura ZDX and others. With these two Beijing Auto Show concepts, thankfully, at least the pointlessness is truly handsome. Check out both cars in their respective Galleries after the jump.







Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
2011 BMW 5-Series Gallery
Luxury Automaker Sales In The USA - March 2010
Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon Gallery
Top 10 Most Expensive Sedans In The World

CANADIAN SALES OF COMPACT CARS - MARCH 2010

If Toyota Canada generated their monthly Sales Stats report with combined sales of the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Matrix (as Toyota USA does), the Toyota Corolla would be handing the Honda Civic its lunch. After all, the 2010 Toyota Matrix was Canada's sixth best-selling car in March. The Toyota duo combined for more than 7,000 units sold last month. 

Thankfully, that's not the way Toyota Canada generates its reports. For the purposes of the Graph below vehicles like the Matrix, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube, and Chevrolet HHR are left off in order to more adequately display true rivals. The fact most obvious when glancing at the Graph below is the Marketplace weakness of midsize sedans in Canada. Honda Civics sold nearly twice as often as the Honda Accord in March. Mazda 3 sales make the Mazda 6 look downright exclusive. By the way Mitsubishi's Lancer comes across you'd be under the impression Mitsubishi forgot to put the Galant in its brochures.

CANADIAN SALES OF MIDSIZE CARS - MARCH 2010

Why is the strength of The Good Car Guy's recommendation not stronger? In both The Good 12 v2.0 and The Good 12 v3.0, The Good Car Guy said that the Mazda 6 was the midsize sedan of choice. Yet last month in Canada, the Mazda 6 was sought out by only 543 people. Meanwhile, the frequently derided Toyota Camry sold more than any other midsize car in the country, a feat not normally achieved by the Camry north of the 49th. 

Could it be a rebel spirit in Canada's car market? "They say not to buy the Camry, so we'll buy'em anyways", Canucks say? Or is it possible that this has nothing to do with GoodCarBadCar.net and everything to do with Toyota's still-sterling reputation and strong incentivizing? 

Whatever it is, the 2010 Toyota Camry was a major player in March. The venerable Honda Accord fared little worse. April's Sales Stats should manifest a more applicable story on the Suzuki Kizashi. And the Kia Magentis? Well, have you seen its replacement

CLICK GRAPH FOR LARGER VIEW

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Small, Midsize & Large Car Sales In Canada - March 2011
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In Canada - March 2010
U.S. Sales Of Midsize Cars - March 2010
Midsize Car Sales In Canada - April 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010

EVO LAPTIMES FROM ISSUE 142 AND 143 - PORSCHE, ASTON MARTIN, AND LAMBORGHINI

Over the course of the last two issues of evo magazine there've been plenty of delicious vehicle reviews, tantalizing future cars, and drives to exotic locations. But tests of a vehicle's true capability at Bedford Autodrome's West Circuit have been sadly lacking. Four cars have made the jaunt around the West Circuit: two Porsches on a damp track and two V12-engined supercars in better conditions. Their laptimes?

Porsche 911 Carrera S - 1:36.6
Porsche 911 Carrera 4S - 1:34.2
Aston Martin DBS - 1:26.4
Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - 1:22.9


Not only does the quicker Porsche 911 reap the benefits of all-wheel drive on a cool and damp track, the 911 C4S is also fitted with ceramic-composite brakes. Despite the 911's testing conditions, it's still shocking that the remarkable Porsche Panamera Turbo, a competitor for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, was ten seconds quicker at Bedford. Indeed, despite the conditions suffered by the 911 C4S, its laptime is a hair slower than an Audi Q7 V12 TDI, a lumbering SUV which enjoyed a dry track. 

As for the V12 cars, it pays to weigh less. A BMW M3 is quicker than the Aston Martin DBS. Though 1:22.9 sounds fast, a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 is faster still. The DBS and Murcielago are big cars ill-suited to the demands placed on them by a tight track. Their engines help them find a good spot on evo's laptime Knowledge, but it must be embarrassing to be that expensive and that much slower than much less enticing machinery.

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
evo Laptimes From Issue 139
Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera - Gallery
evo Laptimes From Issue 138
Porsche 911 Turbo S Described
evo Laptimes From Issue 137

COMPACT LUXURY CAR SALES IN CANADA - MARCH 2010

The compact luxury car market in Canada is quite different than that which Americans witness day by day. See, Honda's luxury division, Acura, throws a low-priced wrench in to the party normally enjoyed by just BMW, Audi, Lexus, and Volvo. The Acura CSX is simply a Honda Civic with 155 horsepower, a rejigged grille, and luxury accouternments. Plus, the CSX buyer enjoys Acura dealer treatment.

Priced thousands of dollars beneath the BMW 128i, Audi A3, Volvo C30, and Lexus HS250h, the 2010 Acura CSX gives buyers the opportunity to enjoy a luxury badge by paying for a mainstream product. At $27,490, the CSX is on par with a mid-grade Honda Accord 4-cylinder. What does this do for Acura sales in Canada? Well, Acura routinely sells more cars than Lexus in Canada. South of the border, Lexus is generally the best-selling luxury brand. That being said, the difference between Acura Canada's sales in March and Lexus Canada's total was more than just CSX sales. For the complete compact luxury picture from the month of March 2010 in Canada, check out the Graph below.

Now you're even more curious about the Acura CSX? Lemonfree.com has pages and pages of search results for pre-owned CSX's across Canada.

CLICK GRAPH FOR LARGER VIEW

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Thursday, April 22, 2010

CANADIAN SALES OF MIDSIZE LUXURY SEDANS - MARCH 2010

According to the Wu Tang Clan Name Generator, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the Ultra-Chronic Monstah. Going up against Tha Visible Choirboy in the Canadian midsize luxury car Sales Stats Graph hasn't been the biggest challenge for the Ultra-Chronic Monstah. But perhaps as the 2011 BMW 528i, 535i and the V8-engined BMW 550i hit dealers, the tide will turn in favour of Tha Visible Choirboy.

The Wu Tang Clan Name Generator is helpful in other areas, as well. No longer would the Audi A6 be so named; Embryonic Crusadah is more fitting. And The Good Car Guy? The Ever So Weary Assistant. For all the details on midsize luxury car sales in Canada from the month of March, inspect the details below.

CLICK GRAPH FOR LARGER VIEW


Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Small/Entry Luxury Car & Midsize Luxury Car Sales In Canada - March 2011
Midsize Luxury Car Sales In Canada - February 2010
Midsize Luxury Car Sales In Canada - April 2010
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