Inside, the package adds a Cohiba Brown leather treatment with contrasting seams in Lotus White along with additional black leather features with seams in Umbra, plus Fineline Anthracite wood and sports seats, all fitted as standard. While buyers can choose from a variety of non-metallic and metallic exterior paint finishes, BMW proposes a unique Mineral White metallic color which is exclusive to this edition.
The new equipment package will be available for order from summer 2011.
After production of the A610 ended, Renault used the Alpine factory in Dieppe to manufacture the street-legal RenaultSport Spider, a lightweight two-seater model with a rear mid-engine layout built from 1995 to 1997, which was the French firm’s last bespoke sports car.
Over the years, we have seen many independent designers creating concept studies for a new Alpine coupe, the most recent being the one you see pictured above, which is the work of David Cardoso.
Here is what David told Carscoop about his design: “I made a modern interpretation of the Renault Alpine A110. Like the original Alpine, this concept has a rear engine and a stretched silhouette. The rear is inspired by the Dezir Concept while the front has influences of the Nepta Concept. Could be a direct competitor (or ally since Nissan is in the Renault group) for the Nissan 370Z.”
Check out the high-resolution pictures below and voice your thoughts about the design in the comments section below.
The Japanese automaker said dealers will re-initialize the tire pressure monitoring system on the affected models free of charge. Toyota has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for the recall.
Four-time Formula 1 champion Alain Prost and his Dacia Duster took first place at the Andros Trophy season finale held in Paris on the Stade de France this past weekend. Although the competition did not count for the championship, it attracted more than 50,000 spectators at France's largest stadium that was transformed into an ice-covered oval track. What they witnessed was a superb ice-skating contest for cars and bikes. Follow the break for the videos.
The former F1 ace drove the race-spec Dacia Duster Ice to victory after eliminating all of his opponents, including Olivier Panis (Skoda Fabia) and Jean Philippe Dayraut (BMW 1-Series), the latter being none other than the Andros Trophy champion and the man who will drive the Duster hill climb car at Pikes Peak in June.
“I would like to dedicate my win to Dacia and to the public who gave me such a warm welcome," said Alain Prost. "We really wanted to perform well today, and we did," he added.
All cars that participate in the Andros Trophy must look like their production counterparts on the outside while complying with certain regulations including four-wheel drive system, four-wheel steering, a three-liter six-cylinder engine with 340HP, a six-speed gearbox and special studded ice tires.
Lancia has released new videos of its 2012 Ypsilon, the posh supermini that made its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this week alongside the subtly revised Delta and the Chrysler-sourced Thema sedan, Grand Voyager MPV, and Fulvia Saloon and Convertible (the last two shown as concepts).
The videos clearly link the new Ypsilon to fashion and luxury, essentially building on the image created by the supermini’s predecessors. Although the outgoing Ypsilon was perceived more of a lady’s car, the automaker wants to send the message that its successor targets both hairdressers male and female buyers.
There was a special guest at Manchester Subaru in New Hampshire last week, and it wasn’t some B-list celebrity slumming it for a free car. No sir, it was a one of a kind 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STi convertible. You read that correctly, and we have the gallery to back it up.
And all I can say is wow. Remember when the boys over at Top Gear UK converted an old Renault Espace into a convertible? This is like that, but better. It’s somewhere between the ASC Helios (nee Chrysler 300C) and the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet in the, “so crazy it’s just might be cool” category.
Best car insurance company 2011 ; I just purchased a new car and my family and I have about 4 cars currently under farmers insurance and pays way over $200 on car insurance...the dealer at the agency mentioned that he bought the same car and has 4 other cars with Nationwide and pays under $200 full coverage. In your experience and in your opinion from what you know or have experienced which insurance companys over the best service for your buck or offer great options. I think we are paying a lot and the options aren't that great.
Well, it depends. Nationwide might be the best for him, but not for you. Depends on your credit score, your driving record, whether you own or rent, the coverages on your vehicles, your liability limits, deductables, the ages of the drivers, where you live, how much you drive etc etc etc. I would suggest calling an independent agent and asking for a quote. They represent more than one company so they can put you in the company that best suits your needs.
Looking for cheap wheels? Here they are -- the least-expensive 2011 cars on sale in America. (All prices are MSRP (sticker price) plus destination charge.) The About.com Cars test team has driven all of these cheap cars, and this list will tell you which are the real deals -- and which are the real duds.
Photo © Hyundai
Despite a modest price increase and its third name change in as many years (first it was the Accent GS Base, then the Accent Blue, and now it's the Accent GL) , the little Hyundai hatchback is once again the least expensive car in America. As you can imagine, the Accent GL is pretty well stripped down; air conditioning is a $1,000 option, but if you want anything else -- power windows, an automatic transmission, or even a radio -- you'll have to step up to the $13,415 Accent GS -- and for that price, there are better cars.
Not that the Accent GL is a bad car; it comes with power steering and an eager 110 horsepower engine, and it's good fun to drive in a back-to-basics sort of way. Still, limited safety equipment and mediocre crash scores make it difficult to justify.
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Photo © Aaron Gold
For $35 more than the Accent GL, the Nissan Versa 1.6 Base offers two extra doors, better resale value, and -- most importantly -- a lot more interior space, even more than some mid-size sedans. That makes the Versa 1.6 the cheapest set of family-friendly wheels available.
As of 2011, the Versa 1.6 comes standard with power windows and door locks -- not something you'd expect in a car tihs cheap. But there's still no stereo and color choices are limited to blue, silver and black. However, you can add antilock brakes, air conditioning and an automatic transmission and still keep the price (just) under $13,000. If you can afford a bit more, the bargain pricing extends throughout the Versa lineup -- a Versa 1.8 with a stereo, A/C, cruise control and electronic stability control lists for just $15,780.
Photo © General Motors
Like most cars at this end of the price scale, the base-model Chevy Aveo is a stripped-down model, though it does get an AM/FM radio with an input jack for an MP3 player, OnStar, and a provision for dealer-installed air conditioning (at extra cost, of course). The Aveo offers a full color palette (unlike the Accent and Versa, offered only in a few dull colors) and a tan interior with fake-wood trim, which sounds cheesy but actually looks pretty nice. You can even get a hatchback version for $200 more.
On the flip side, the Aveo doesn't drive very well, it's weak on safety equipment, and adding factory A/C, a CD player, and power windows pushes the price well past $15k. For that kind of money, you can do much better.
Photo © Kia
The Kia Rio Base is much like the Hyundai Accent GL and the Nissan Versa in that it offers little standard equipment (no stereo, limited color choices) and few options (floor mats and, inexplicably, a trunk-mounted spoiler). The Rio has an eager engine, but the non-power-assisted steering feels lousy in the curves and makes parking a workout. The next step up from the Rio Base is the Rio LX, which gets air conditioning, a CD player, and antilock brakes (ABS) -- but at $15,690, it's a staggering $3,700 more than a Nissan Versa 1.6 with optional A/C and ABS. (At that price, the Versa lacks a stereo, but that's easily solved with a trip to Best Buy.) And the Nissan has better resale values and crash test scores. Just goes to show that a low price doesn't always mean good value.
Photo © Smart
It's no surprise that the smallest car in America is also one of the least expensive, but the cheapest version of the Smart Fortwo, called the Pure, is pretty sparse -- no power windows or mirrors, no air conditioning, not even a stereo. But it does include an automatic transmission and lots of safety gear, including side airbags, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control (ESC) -- in fact, it's the least-expensive car to offer this life-saving technology as standard. And the creature comforts missing in the Fortwo Pure come standard in the Fortwo Passion, which costs only $2,000 more.
Photo © Toyota
The Yaris 3-door has always been one of the smartest cheap-car buys, with air conditioning, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control all standard and an automatic transmission reasonably priced at $800. If you need something with back doors, Toyota offers a 5-door version of the Yaris for just $300 more than the 3-door. The Yaris is good looking, easy to drive, and small, which means it can be squeezed into impossibly small parking spaces. Epic reliability makes the Yaris a good choice for those who keep their cars forever, and strong resale values are a plus for those who don't.
Photo © Aaron Gold
Kia's stylish mini-wagon is an intriguing car and an outstanding buy. The $13,995 base model includes air conditioning, power windows and locks, CD stereo with USB input jack, antilock brakes and electronic stability control -- arguably the best value-for-money on this list. So what's the catch? Well, the base-model Soul only comes in white, silver or black, it's not available with an automatic transmission, and its 122 horsepower 1.6 liter engine is less powerful than the 142 hp 2-liter unit found in other versions of the Soul -- but it's every bit as comfortable, practical and safe. If you can live with a stick-shift, the base-model Soul is a lot of car for the money.
Photo © Aaron Gold
The Fiesta is a brand-new addition to this list, and it comes on strong, with four doors, a 120 horsepower engine, electronic stability control, power steering, and an AM/FM radio with an auxiliary input jack. But what really sets the Fiesta apart is the way it drives.
Designed in Europe, the Fiesta is huge fun on curvy roads and delivers outstanding fuel economy, even better if you spring for the automatic (a high-tech six-speed twin-clutch transmission). It's cute, cheeky and eager, a thoroughly lovable car -- and the low price makes it that much easier to love. No question, the Fiesta is my favorite set of cheap wheels.
The base-model SX4 is your classic "loss leader" -- no air conditioning, no stereo, no automatic transmission, and you can get it in any color you like, provided the only color you like is white. That said, the SX4 does come with power windows and locks, antilock brakes, and a zinger of an engine -- 2 liters and 150 horsepower, which makes it the muscle car of the bargain-basement set. I love the SX4 for its its cute styling, big back seat, and high fun-to-drive factor, but if you're shopping for bargain wheels, it's a bit hard to justify.
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Toyota also plans to cut two vice-chairman positions and shrink its board to 17 or fewer members as part of the biggest management shakeup in eight years, according to two people who declined to be identified as the plan is private. Former President Katsuaki Watanabe will become an advisor without a board vote, and former head of research and development Kazuo Okamoto will move to an affiliate, the people said.
President Akio Toyoda will present a "Global Vision 2020" plan for the world's largest automaker on Wednesday, March 9, to help boost sales a year after the carmaker's biggest recall crisis. As part of its focus on emerging markets, the carmaker introduced the Etios compact in India in December, which will also be modified for sale in China, Thailand and Brazil.
Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo has dubbed the Etios as the "21st Century Corolla," a reference to its bestselling compact model. Investors and analysts have called on Toyota to reveal more about plans for next-generation models, shifting production away from Japan and boosting sales of luxury models. The automaker made about 60 percent of its operating profit from North America in the nine-months ended December 31, according to its financial statement.
"As the recall problem has settled down, there's hope that Toyota will turn around and get on the offensive, but I'm not optimistic," said Koji Endo, a Tokyo-based auto analyst at Advanced Research Japan. "Toyota has been trying to return to a less aggressive way of doing things after being so fixated on profit."
Slimmer board
Toyota's slimmer board may help it adapt to challenges and changes in the global industry quickly, the people said.
"Toyota has seemed cluttered with too many board members, and that has had consequences," said Tadashi Usui, an analyst at Moody's K.K. in Tokyo.
Toyota spokesman Koki Konishi said the automaker can't comment on the plan at this point.
After a global financial crisis and recalls of 20.4 million cars around the world since November 2009, Toyota has fallen behind rival Honda Motor Co. in terms of profit and operating margin. The company has said it plans to keep capital investments little changed for at least the next five years to cut costs.
Volkswagen, GM
With Volkswagen AG aiming to surpass Toyota as the world's largest carmaker by 2018, and competitors including General Motors Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. also gaining ground on the automaker, management has been divided over whether it should be more aggressive or remain cautious, said two Toyota group executives, who declined to be identified.
In Toyoda's testimony before Congress in February 2010, during the height of the recall crisis, he linked vehicle defects to the rapid expansion that pushed the company to the top of the industry.
"Quite frankly, I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick," Toyoda said. The grandson of Toyota's founder has advocated a return to founding principles such as "putting the customer first" and "genchi genbutsu," or "going to see things first-hand."
Watanabe's plan
Toyota is continuing a cautious approach even as analysts say the company lags behind rivals in emerging markets such as China and India, said Karl Schlicht, head of the global product and marketing division at Lexus, the carmaker's luxury brand.
"We're not going all out to go as fast as we can in China," he said. "We've learned a big lesson. We want to be careful."
Toyoda's 2020 vision revises a plan outlined by Watanabe in November 2007, which included a goal of offering hybrid versions of all its models and commercializing next-generation battery technology and new modes of mobility.
Watanabe said in 2006 he expected the company's operating margin to grow to 10 percent from 8.5 percent at the time. That compares with 2.9 percent for the nine-month period through December.
The company expects to earn 490 billion yen ($5.95 billion) in net income in the year ending March 31, a figure that may almost double to 922 billion yen in the year ending March 2013, according to the average of 14 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That's still below the record 1.7 trillion yen it earned in fiscal year 2007.
Prius lineup
The company's focus on expanding its lineup of fuel-efficient models remains evident as it adds new versions of the Prius, the world's best-selling gasoline-electric model. Toyota displayed its Prius v wagon and a compact Prius c concept car at the Detroit auto show in January.
In the U.S., Toyota's biggest market, the company expects Prius models to make up its top-selling vehicle line by the end of the decade, overtaking the Camry sedan, according to Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president for U.S. sales.
A plug-in hybrid and cars powered solely by batteries are also planned for next year. Toyota agreed last year to buy a $50 million stake in California-based Tesla Motors Inc. to collaborate on an electric version of Toyota's RAV4 sport- utility vehicle.
Toyota is also working on a new battery technology that improves upon lithium-ion cells. Vehicles with magnesium-sulfur batteries or alternative materials may be ready by about 2020, according to Jeffrey Makarewicz, an engineer at Toyota's technical center in Ann Arbor, Mich.
