Coming Soon (We Hope) to a Dealer Near You

Quick, name two of the most exciting things in the world.

Okay, I admit that new cars probably didn’t make your list. Still, when a new car is expected to arrive on the scene, people tend to get giddy while discussing what it might look like and how it might perform. While that’s especially true for all-new models hitting U.S. shores, a refresh of a long-loved model is sometimes equally appreciated.

Lucky for us, we’ve got a little of both to share.

First, take a look again at the top of this story. I can’t imagine you missed this on the first look, but that picture is a teaser for an upcoming Bugatti (Autoblog says it could be a sedan) with EIGHT tailpipes. If a million-dollar family hauler with an 8.0-liter, 1,000-horsepower W16 engine that can hit 60 miles per hour in about 3 seconds is in your budget, the Bordeaux could be for you. While there is very little official word on the new Bug, odds are if you’re going to pony up the money, you can get one in the States.

Getting back to Earth, Lexus has released a drawing of a potential new hatchback. In the past I’d have assumed a car like the CT would be designated for the European market only, but with the changing attitude in the U.S. regarding small hatches, there’s a real possibility we’ll see something like this from Lexus in the coming years. More evidence that the new Lexus is U.S. bound comes from Autoweek, which says,

Lexus has patented the names CT 200h, CT 300h and CT 400h in North America.

Looks like it’ll be a hybrid, huh?

As Toyota works to increase Lexus’s product offering, it also needs to supercharge its Scion lineup. That’s where the tiny new 1.3-liter 4-cylinder iQ should come into play. The European version gets 66 mpg. Scion dealers say it’s coming in 2010, but Toyota hasn’t made an official announcement, saying priority is on a redesigned tC, which is also good news for Scion fans. We could see a needed power jump from 161 hp to 200 out of a new 2.7-liter engine.

Finally, Hyundai is prepared to showcase the all-new Tucson at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month. Leftlane says,

Sources are saying to expect only four-cylinder powerplants, including a turbocharged model after the initial launch. This is probably a smart move on Hyundai’s part seeing how sensitive Americans are to MPGs these days. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the next Tucson get close to 30 mpg highway, with an equally impressive 20+ in the city.

Are there any U.S.-bound cars you look forward to seeing, or any you think should appear on these shores?

-tgriffith

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Porsche Powers to Another Win

2010 Porsche Boxster S

Everybody sees something different in the latest J.D. Power survey. The Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) study is one of the industry’s big ranking exercises and tries to measure “how gratifying a new vehicle is to drive.” APEAL ranks cars and trucks by model-levels and nameplate. Indeed, the results include some surprises this year.

Most car bloggers and writers gave the honors to Porsche for taking the top overall spot for the fifth year in a row. Others, like Autoblog, tooted Hyundai’s horn for beating BMW (the new Genesis demoted the 5 Series, if you can believe it).

Volkswagen AG earned four segment-level (functionality and size categories, like SUV, pickup, and so on) awards for the CC, GTI, Passat, and Tiguan. Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan each got two. The press release explains the study’s methodology:

The APEAL Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of more than 90 vehicle attributes. The 2009 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between February and May 2009 from more than 80,900 purchasers and lessees of new 2009 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership. The APEAL Study complements the recently released J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), which focuses on problems experienced by owners during the first 90 days of ownership.

So it really is kind of a big deal. These are the top 10 overall rankings:

2009 APEAL Nameplate Ranking (based on a 1,000-point scale)
Porsche	869
Jaguar	859
Cadillac	852
Audi	846
BMW	844
Mercedes-Benz	841
Lexus	837
Infiniti	828
Land Rover	822
Lincoln	820

Here’s your chance to contradict J.D. Power, folks. Tell us in a comment which of these rankings are totally off the wall and why!

—jgoods

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General Motors Exits Bankruptcy

Well, that didn’t take long!

In fact, it took just six weeks to dismantle “the old GM” and build a new company; the biggest corporate bankruptcy in the history of the world is over!

That also means today marks the launch of a brand-new company, which is being called The New GM. According to their press release:

• GM gets back to the business of building great cars and trucks, serving customer needs
• New company created from GM’s strongest assets
• Four core brands backed by the nation’s largest and strongest dealer network
• Streamlined organization on a global basis for faster decisions, sharper focus on the customer
• Commitment to open communications

In that same press release, CEO Fritz Henderson said,

Today marks a new beginning for General Motors, one that will allow every employee, including me, to get back to the business of designing, building and selling great cars and trucks and serving the needs of our customers. We are deeply appreciative for the support we have received during this historic transformation, and we will work hard to repay this trust by building a successful new General Motors.

We’ll see, won’t we? The company has a lot of work to do, but early signs are good, considering the recent news that Chevy’s Silverado and Camaro beat Ford’s F-150 and Mustang in June sales.

It’ll take a few model years of consistently quality products and innovative technology before I’d consider a GM product, but at least the company now appears to finally be on the right track.

Would you consider buying a vehicle from the new GM?

-tgriffith

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