So for this week’s link of the week, we take a Jalopnik post, which has compiled a list of the worst (and most expensive) car crashes of 2009. Lots of pricy Italian carbon fibre smashed in unflattering shapes!
http://jalopnik.com/5435625/the-30-most-expensive-car-crashes-of-2009/gallery/
Ezra Dyer, a contributor to the NY Times, seems to found a solution for beating a snow storm with speed (and style). Enjoy!
Not satisfied with merely producing supercars for Mercedes or F1, McLaren is producing a successor to the fabled McLaren F1. Our guess is Rowan Atkinson already has two on order.
911 Design
Check out James May’s views on the 911’s timeless styling in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jamesmay/6502445/The-Porsche-911-as-an-artists-muse.html
Ah, need we say more?
Ok, true, it’s not Euro, BUT it’s not a bad commercial!
Car porn? You be the judge!
No, it’s not a European car, but if you ever wanted a virtual test drive around the Nürburgring in a Nissan GT-R, well, here is your chance!
Dirk Schoysman gives PistonHeads a tour of the Nurburgring at the wheel of a Nissan GT-R
A bit old, but at Beyond the KM, we like to look at the old news and see if the predictions have come true.
Audi R8 V10
Time Magazine: Audi Gets in the Fast Lane
In the last article published by BTKM, we discussed the phenomenon that is the “halo effect” of the automotive sector. The premise is that by creating an “amazing” and “expensive” car, you attract buyers to the brand, who then buy more moderately priced cars (and in great quantities!).
By the way, from Audi:
Audi announces U.S. 2010 model-year prices for its Audi R8 sports cars, including the V10-powered R8 5.2 FSI quattro
- Base MSRP on the all-new Audi R8 V10 model starts at $146,000
- Strong interest in the Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro drives early shipment to certified Audi R8 dealerships this week
- MSRP on the V8-powered Audi R8 4.2 FSI quattro models remain unchanged from 2009 model-year pricingHERNDON, Va., Jul 23, 2009 - Audi today announced that the U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the highly anticipated 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro V10 sports car will start at $146,000, with shipments to authorized Audi R8 dealerships across the country beginning this week.
Audi said the MSRP for the 2010 Audi R8 4.2 FSI quattro will start at $114,200, unchanged from the base prices for 2009 models:
2010 R8 5.2 FSI® quattro® (V10) pricing (excluding $1,200 destination charge, taxes, title, options and dealer charges):
R8 5.2 FSI quattro coupe (manual) $146,000
R8 5.2 FSI quattro coupe (R tronic) $155,1002010 R8 4.2 FSI® quattro® (V8) pricing (excluding $1,200 destination charge, taxes, title, options and dealer charges):
R8 4.2 FSI quattro coupe (manual) $114,200
R8 4.2 FSI quattro coupe (R tronic) $123,300
Designing a car to be priced higher than its German rivals was an exercise in brand positioning, says De Nysschen. “We think we found a sweet spot in the market.” Bentley–which, like Audi, is part of the Volkswagen Group–successfully exploited a similar luxury-market niche when it positioned itself between supercostly Rolls-Royce and the sedans and coupes of BMW and Mercedes.
Source:
Time (linked above)
Audi of America
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in all its glory!
If there was ever a doubt in the halo effect that accompanies a super car launch… if you ever thought Porsche’s Carrera GT, Lamborghini Reventón, Aston Martin’s One-77, VW’s Phaeton, Mercedes SLR, Acura’s NSX, Nissan’s GT-R, and Audi’s R8 were a waste of space and a money losing venture, you were wrong. VW Group’s crowning achievement is undoubtedly the venerable Bugatti Veyron 16.4.
Acquired in 1998 from Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli, VW immediately set to work building a successor to the EB110. It was considered by many to be the most sophisticated car of its kind at the time, a trait that followed in VW’s iteration called the Veyron 16.4. Even at its introduction and production start in 2005, VW never intended the Veyron to surpass 300 units. Indeed, the company has said that after 300 are produced, the car will be discontinued. Interestingly, this has not resulted in a static design and the company has continued to pump out alterations including “special editions” and a Gran Sport, replete with a removable roof.
It has been said by many that the Bugatti is the ultimate supercar, not just of today, but also of all time. Those who make that argument point to the jaw-dropping 0-60 mph times under 2.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 400 KM/hour (250+ mph). Others marvel at the 16-cylinder, 4-turbocharger engine or the 10 radiators onboard. Still others marvel that at full speed, the car runs out of full in 12 minutes and the tires burn to a crisp at 15 minutes. All of that in a rather un-dramatic, but stunning fashion.
It is the combination of those factors, the styling, and the EURO1,000,000+ price tag that make the Bugatti the ultimate halo product for VW Group. What is the halo effect, and why is it so important that VW stands to lose millions of euros for each Veyron produced? Halo products in general are the über-expensive, lower volume, highly publicized products that companies produce to create buzz for the company and the other products sold by that company. Even a low volume company like Porsche can benefit from a halo product because these products do so much to bring status and media coverage. A company that produces a rather low quality product can be perceived as one that more generally produces very high-end products. The company may actually lose money selling the halo product, but these halo products are often considered a marketing cost anyway. Ideally, a company would save massive amounts of money on advertising by introducing a product that is constantly covered by the media.
So it is with the Bugatti Veyron. Associating Bugatti with VW Group and providing otherwise sound business strategy has meant that VW has pushed past Toyota (IN A WEAK MARKET!) to become the number one producer of automobiles in not just Europe, but the entire world with 4.4 million units for the year according to IHS Global Insight.
http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/11/vw-pushes-past-toyota-as-global-production-leader.html
For an example of the aforementioned press coverage, see the following irrelevant, but positive pieces of new coverage:
Radar Love...
So Haley’s comet has passed overhead again, or so it would seem, because my mother just had me arrange a new car for her. To preface this article it is worth mentioning that my mother suffers from what I like to call “look-aholism”. That is, she sees a car on the road that she likes and then she mulls it over repeatedly, until finally, something catastrophic happens with her current car and she is induced into buying a new one.
She started this trend with the Chrysler LeBaron convertible, by no means a looker, but nearly as gnarly as compared to today’s Sebring. It was a 1989 model, and before you ask, it was not the Maserati-produced version with the goofy removable hard top. It was the run-of-the-mill LE model with white exterior with maroon interior. I hated that car. Oh sure, it was a bit of fun to drive, but to sit as a passenger, especially in the back, where I inevitably got placed, was a painful experience. Exposed to the cool summer elements in the wild west of Nebraska, my senses were assaulted by the noisy, cold, and face-distorting speed produced by that 4-cylinder turbo racing down dirt roads at 80 miles per hour. So now you know the answer to the question: why not the Mazda Miata? Because my mother likes to torture her children in the back seat (a feature distinctly lacking in the Miata).
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