It had to happen. Here at LotPro.com we see where Ford has answered the call from the new Chevy Camaro by introducing a new V6 mill that ups the ante by 1 hp and 1 mpg.

We knew it had to happen, because, well, because it just had to. No way was Ford going to allow Chevy to nearly trump the Mustang V8 with its V6 and, as such, the second round of the pony car horsepower wars has just started. Only this time around, it’s going to be different.

Gone are the days when all you had to do was build an engine that produced copious amounts of power at the expense of fuel economy. This time around, there are improvements – vast improvements – in both power and economy.

Welcome to the 21st century

The new reality calls for improving a vehicle’s performance by judicious use of technology in both the engine and transmission.

A case in point – the new V6 engine from Ford features Ti-VCT, which is Ford speak for its Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing. Ti-VCT allows Ford to precisely control the “valve overlap”, which is the window of time in which both the intake and exhaust valves are open simultaneously. This allows the engine to be programmed for better low-end torque (5 percent) and improved peak power (7 percent) over non-Ti-VCT equipped engines, while at the same time delivering better fuel economy (19/30 city/highway for the automatic) and reduced overall emissions.

How do it know?

Older designs used camshafts that were able to open valves only at a fixed point that was set during the design of the engine. Modern variable cam timing systems, on the other hand, allow the camshafts to be rotated slightly relative to their “initial” position allowing the timing to be either “advanced” or “retarded.”

“This overlap control via Ti-VCT helps us eliminate compromises in the induction and exhaust systems,” said Jim Mazuchowski, Ford manager of V-6 powertrain operations. “Drivers are going to notice improved low-speed torque and increased fuel economy and peak horsepower. Plus, there are benefits they won’t notice, too, such as reduced emissions overall, especially at part-throttle.”

Specs

To say that the new V6 is an improvement over its predecessor is, at the very least, an understatement.

“This new V-6 engine really speaks to what Mustang is all about,” said Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president of global powertrain engineering. “It produces power everywhere in the rev range and loves to be pushed hard. The Duratec 3.7-liter builds on our promise to use advanced technology to deliver both power and fuel economy.”

Built at Ford’s recently retooled Cleveland Engine Plant No.1, the 3.7-liter produces 305 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque (versus the old 4.0-liter mill’s 210 hp and 240 lb. – ft. of torque). A new cold-air induction system and dual exhausts allow for freer breathing and a 7,000 rpm redline, while a new deep-sump oil pan provides for 10,000 mile oil change intervals.

Here at LotPro.com

We have often been accused of promoting an agenda that includes small cars as well as anything that competes with domestic products. The fact is nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us here grew up loving Detroit iron. And throughout the fifties and the early sixties, we saw the vehicles (not the “product”) coming out of the factories here in the Midwest as the best the world could produce.

But much of that luster was lost as the big three came to rest on its laurels – while missing the boat on smaller cars in their own backyard (even as their European subsidiaries pumped out some of the better smaller rides).

But small cars weren’t the segment that was being lost to the imports. Starting with Acura in the late eighties, the best of Detroit’s luxury makers gradually lost ground to the Japanese and then the Germans, so that by the nineties, both Cadillac and Lincoln (Chrysler effectively killed off the badge in 1990 when the Imperial became a K-car) had become also-rans in the segment (the 1982 Cimarron comes to mind, as does Cadillac’s V8-6-4 engine).

A renaissance (an era, not the building)

Beginning in 2002, however, a revival began at Cadillac with the introduction of the first CTS sedan (a 2003 model). This was followed by the STS sedan in 2004 and the second-generation CTS in 2007.

One year later at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, Cadillac unveiled the CTS Coupe Concept, a stunning designed based on the CTS sedan, promising its eventual production and today, the company announced that 2011 CTS Coupe would, indeed, begin arriving in Cadillac showrooms in the spring of 2010.

“Cadillac has always been an emotional brand – it’s about delivering art regardless of body style,” said Max Wolff, director of exterior design for Cadillac. “With the CTS Coupe, it was about taking something very strong – the CTS Sport Sedan – and extending its potential.”

Virtually unchanged

The actual production coupe carries over virtually unchanged from the concept car. Wheelbase is shared with the sedan, but height and length are 2” lower and 2” shorter than the four door. Although based on the sedan, the coupe shares only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille with its sibling.

“CTS Coupe is the new focal point of Cadillac, expressing both our design and technical capabilities,” said Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac general manager. “It is intended to appeal to a new generation of car enthusiasts.”

According to Cadillac, other key design features include:

•    Classic hardtop styling, with no conventional B-pillar
•    Touch-pad operation for the doors removes the need for conventional door handles, creating a technical, clean profile
•    A windshield laid at a faster angle (62.3 degrees) and a long, nearly horizontal backglass area combine to create a sleek, aerodynamic look
•    Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
•    Diamond cut-style rear fascia with mesh lower grilles
•    Center-outlet exhaust with twin dihedral-shaped tips that pass through the rear fascia
•    Signature vertical lighting, highlighted with LED light pipes
•    Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
•    Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio.

At LotPro.com, we’ve never really disliked the smart fortwo. Our argument with the car has always been that its focus may be just too narrow. In addition, trying to make an economic case for it as a first, or even second, car is difficult.

The base pure model starts at $11,990, about the same as a Chevy Aveo 5. For that price, neither vehicle comes with air conditioning or power windows. The Aveo comes standard with a 1.6-liter 4 making 108 hp, while the pure comes equipped with a 1.0-liter 3 and 71 hp.

Stepping up to the passion trim gives you, among other things, air conditioning and a radio, but with a jump in price to $13,990 – and now we’re only a grand away from the base Honda Fit. It should also be pointed out that both the Aveo 5 and the Fit also include back seats and a decent amount of storage – something both smart models lack.

In any case, taking retail sales numbers into account (September sales were down over 50% from 2008 with year to date sales down by almost 33%), the bloom may well be off the rose for the fortwo.

So to prop up numbers, parent company Daimler AG has come up with a tried-and-true method to boost its numbers – rental fleets.

car2go

On Tuesday, Daimler announced that in partnership with the City of Austin it was launching its car2go pilot project in North America. As a bonus, Austin also becomes the official headquarters of car2go North America LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler.

At the outset, 200 smart fortwo vehicles will be made available within the city for all registered car2go members. The fleet will be available 24/7 and, after a one-time registration process, customers can access vehicles on the street or by online reservation and may use the fortwo for as long as they like with charges based on time and rates starting by the minute.

The first-ever pilot took place in Ulm, Germany in October of 2008. During that pilot, the fleet of 200 smarts was rented between 500 and 1,000 times per day and was used by 15,000 customers with 90% of the rentals taking place outside the reservation process.

1958 Thunderbird

COTY award

In 1949, Motor Trend became the first U.S. magazine to offer a Car of the Year award. For the next 50 years, it was handed out to domestic vehicles only (an Import Car of the Year category was established in 1970 and the two were combined for the 2000 award year).

As hindsight is inevitably 20/20, it’s easy to knock some of the past recipients, such as the 1971 Chevrolet Vega (with its engine block design that led to a history of head gasket failures), the 1980 Chevrolet Citation (that set a new standard in fwd-induced torque steer) and the 1983 AMC/Renault Alliance (which has been universally acknowledged to have been perhaps the magazine’s greatest faux pas).

But that being said, the Motor Trend Car of the Year award has also been bestowed on many of the most historically significant vehicles to grace our roads, including the 1958 Ford Thunderbird, the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1985 Volkswagen GTI, the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette and the 2005 Chrysler 300.

2010 nominees

For 2010, there were 23 contenders for the Motor Trend COTY award. As usual, vehicle eligibility is determined by a totally new or substantial redesign and all vehicles must have been available for sale between now and November 1st of the previous year. The list for 2010 was comprised of the following vehicles:

BMW 7 Series
BMW Z4
Buick LaCrosse
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
Ford Fusion
Ford Taurus /SHO
Honda Insight
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Kia Forte Koup
Kia Soul
Lexus HS 250h
Mazda3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Cube
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf /GTI
Volkswagen Routan

2010 Ford Fusion

In a first-ever live webcast event, Motor Trend announced this afternoon that the entire 2010 Ford Fusion model line had taken the honors for the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers,” said Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief. “The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”

Mark Fields, Angus MacKenzie, Derrick Kuzak

There to receive the award for Ford Motor Company was a plethora of executives from the company, including Mark Fields, executive vice president of the company and president, The Americas.

“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team. “Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”

1919 Model T Police Truck

Cruiser news

Ford Motor Company let it be known today that it was developing plans for an all-new Ford Police Interceptor while reaffirming its commitment to the “police and municipal vehicles businesses.”

Earlier this month, on October 5th, we at LotPro.com had reported that General Motors, in anticipation of the demise of the Ford Crown Vic (the current segment leader with 45,000 sold out of the 60,000 units sold per year or 75% of the market), announced that they would be bringing to market an all-new Chevy Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV).

Current Crown Victoria Police Cruiser

Ford Police Interceptor

Working in conjunction with the company’s Police Advisory Board, which has provided input, during the past 14 months, on many key target areas, the new Police Interceptor will begin production just as the last Crown Victoria rolls off the assembly line.

“We have heard the repeated requests from the law enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support of the law enforcement community,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.  “Ford is answering the call with the new Police Interceptor – engineered and built in America.”

“Ford’s commitment to the law enforcement community produced the Crown Victoria, the benchmark police vehicle,” said Lt. Brian Moran, fleet manager, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and a member of Ford’s Police Advisory Board.  “This commitment has continued, and Ford has been working closely with the Police Advisory Board on developing the new Police Interceptor. I am confident that the next-generation Ford police vehicle will meet the future needs of the law enforcement community and will set the new standard.”

Ford Interceptor Concept

No details

Although the Glass House does not plan on revealing details of its latest crime fighter until sometime in the first quarter of 2010 (just in time for law enforcement agencies, aftermarket manufacturers and upfitters to develop transition plans from the Crown Vic), the announcement is clearly timed to encourage those same agencies to put off making the decision to switch to the Chevy PPV until they’ve had a chance to check out Ford’s latest and greatest.

“Ford long has supported our public servants with vehicles that work as hard as they do,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service.  “We intend to build on this legacy with a new generation of municipal and police vehicles that set even higher standards.”

With very little information to go on, we at LotPro.com can only hope that the new Police Interceptor more closely resembles the 2006 Ford Interceptor Concept than that of the Focus-based Interceptor used in Italy.

Italian Focus Interceptor

Vehicle intros

At LotPro.com, many of us can remember when dealers used to hide their upcoming models in their back lots and put Kraft paper on their front windows in anticipation of the unveiling of their latest models (the cars, themselves, would be kept under wraps on the showroom floor). As kids, we used to climb fences and peek in the windows of garages in order to get that first glimpse of the new Fords, Chevys and Pontiacs.

But time and technology marches on. As a society, we are no longer content to wait for the actual model introductions – even though the auto manufacturers regularly push new models to market as soon as possible – timing be damned. And with the realities of the internet and digital photography, the spy shot of a new model can be sent around the world in all of its high-resolution glory within a matter of minutes.

To counter this, manufacturers have resorted to releasing “teaser” images of their upcoming models. Having witnessed this phenomenon for quite some time, we are now ready to begin classifying them according to the amount of useful information the images supply.

Level 1 tease

Recent example – the new Volvo S60

These images include some type of full resolution image. These teasers include images of the actual production vehicle and can be classified as a “tease” only because the manufacturer withholds images of the interior of the vehicle as well as miscellaneous up close shots of the wheels, engine compartment and trim pieces usually found in the full-blown press kit.

Level 2 tease

Recent example – the upcoming Volkswagen mid-size sedan

Level 2 teases usually involve releasing either a small image of just a part of the vehicle, or an artist’s rendering. In both cases, you get a glimpse of the design direction and the overall “feel” of the vehicle without actually seeing it in its entirety (which would be the level 1 tease).

Level 3 tease

Recent example – the new BMW 5 Series

The level 3 tease is best described as the overt attempt by a manufacturer to drive most car crazies out of their minds. Examples of the level three tease include supplying images of vehicle outlines or shadows. Shooting the model in black against a black backdrop while lighting only two feet of the front fender also qualifies, as does the recent release from BMW in which the new 5 series is assembled using a CGI array of ball bearings to highlight only the horizontal surfaces beginning at the beltline and moving upwards.

For the second time in its history, Automobile Magazine has bestowed upon the Volkswagen GTI its car of the year award and the first time in its history that the magazine has awarded it twice to the same model.

“At a time when the world’s economy is in shambles and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are on everyone’s minds, there remains only one car that ticks all the enthusiast boxes without setting off a single wretched-excess alarm. That’s the Volkswagen GTI, and that’s why it is, once again, Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year,” said Joe DeMatio, Executive Editor, Automobile Magazine.

“Having our GTI named AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s Automobile of the Year once again is a tremendous honor for our brand,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re thrilled that the staff of AUTOMOBILE Magazine acknowledged that today’s sport’s car consumers are looking beyond horsepower and going fast, rather they are looking for vehicles that are practical, fuel efficient, and fast. The GTI truly embodies what the Volkswagen brand is all about–affordable, efficient, and fun-to-drive German Engineering,” Barnes added.

Since 1983

First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1975, sales of the golf-based GTI began in Europe in 1977. And while the rest of the world was able to enjoy the hot VW hatch, it wasn’t until 1983 that American drivers would be able to get their hands on the North American version that, by that time, would be assembled in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

That original version was equipped with a 90 hp 1.8-liter four and close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission, along with a pair of the sweetest sport seats this side of the Atlantic.

The GTI for 2010

For 2010, the GTI features a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC turbo-charged four-cylinder engine that produces 200 horsepower and 207 lbs.-ft. of torque. This time, a six-speed manual is standard, while the father of all “pocket rockets” is also available with VW’s sweet automated manual DSG® transmission. Top speed is electronically governed at 130 mph, while EPA fuel economy is a respectable 32/24 highway/city with the DSG.

Here at LotPro.com, we learned of Volkswagen’s Real Racing GTI app for the iPhone® and iPod Touch® when the company made the official announcement on October 22nd. Since that time, the Real Racing GTI app continues to be “one of the hottest free apps on iTunes”, according to VW, with more than 2 million downloads.

And while the app really is pretty cool, it certainly helps that, tied in with the game, VW plans on giving away a total of six limited-edition MkVI GTIs to randomly-selected players in the six weeks following the introduction of the game.

“Consumer response to Real Racing GTI has been phenomenal, and thanks to fans like Joseph Chase, the game is still one of the top free apps on iTunes,” said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “More than 2 million consumers have already downloaded the free app, and we are thrilled they have reacted to it with such enthusiasm and in such a short time frame.”

And the first winner is

From the above quoted paragraph, you should discern that the first winner is one Joseph Chase. Joseph, who hails from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, is not so enamored of the virtual world that he isn’t looking forward to the real thing. “I downloaded the Real Racing GTI App the minute I first heard about it and I haven’t stopped playing since – it’s just such a fun game,” said Mr. Chase. “But now I can’t wait to hit the real streets in my new GTI!”

It pays to play

How can you win your own MkVI? Here’s the DL from VW:

U.S.-registered players enjoying the action of the Real Racing GTI App can put their skills to the test for a chance to win one of the remaining five, limited-edition 2010 GTI models. The more people play, the more chances they have to win. Continuing over each of the next five weeks, one player will be chosen to win the ultimate racing prize: the exclusive GTI MkVI, an individually-numbered, specially-tuned version of the legendary hatchback. Each model includes the GTI’s 2.0T 200hp four-cylinder engine, a performance tuned suspension finished with black, Volkswagen
motorsport 18-inch all-new wheels, and special interior touches, including carbon fiber-look trim, a numbered dash plaque, and unique stitching in the front headrests. Winners will be selected and notified by ePrize, Volkswagen’s interactive promotions partner. For more information on the competition please visit: www.vw.com/RealRacingGTI.

The Real Racing GTI App is available for free from the App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest, which officially ends on December 2 at 11:59PM.

All images courtesy of Volkswagen of America

It’s Friday!

It’s Friday afternoon at LotPro.com and that can mean only one thing: it’s time to mention two events in the automotive world that would normally be relegated to the footnotes of history.

Kroming up the Rogue

The first of these is Nissan’s introduction of a new trim level to its Rogue model, the Krom edition. Truth be told, this isn’t Nissan’s first foray into the realm of  Krom. That distinction belongs to the top of the heap Nissan Cube Krom which was introduced at this year’s Chicago Auto Show.

Created for those who roll to a different drummer, the Krom fills a perceived void between the S and SL variants where the Krom eschews the high-tech gadgetry of the SL while favoring the “in your face” style of a DUB makeover.

Upgrades from the base S include 17” polished alloy wheels sporting P225/60R Continental Conti 4×4 Contact skins. Unique front and rear fascias house an aggressive double bar grille and oversize lower air intake and a center-exit exhaust, respectively. A body-colored rear spoiler and power outside mirrors, rear privacy glass a “Krom” (undoubtedly, chrome) emblem and steering wheel-mounted audio controls complete the package.

Don’t-mess-with-me colors are limited to Venom Red, Wicked Black and Gotham Gray (and we thought Batman was only partial to black).

You’ll get a charge out of this one

At the opposite end of the aggression scale is the too-cute Mitsubishi i-MiEV which this week garnered Japan Automotive Hall of Fame’s “Car Technology of the Year” award for its “MiEV OS” vehicle control system. Yes, that’s right – vehicles have advanced to the point where they’re give awards for their operating systems.

According to the Hall of Fame, the award was given to this particular operating system for the following reasons:

1. Integrated control technology for a mass-produced electric vehicle
2. 3-way charging system for the lithium-ion drive battery
3. Development of the compact, lightweight, and high-efficiency motor
4. Microsoft didn’t design it, so the vehicle is less likely to “crash”

Just kidding about the last one (hey, it’s Friday).

As the Brits might put it, this Volvo is “a bloody nice car”. Okay. Enough with the puns, already. Here at LotPro.com, we’re not exactly at the epicenter of the intended audience for the Twilight series of books. Given the fact that all four books are most popular with young adults (the majority of whom are female, to be sure), that pretty much knocks most of us here out of the picture (with one or two exceptions).

That being said, who are we to knock a franchise that has sold over 70 million books worldwide? On top of that, one of the lead characters will be driving a Volvo XC60 (with City Safety, no less) in the latest manuscript to celluloid translation of the saga (not series, mind you, but “saga”), New Moon.

And just like you can’t pass a Chevy dealer without one of the kids (usually a boy) shouting out “there’s Bumblebee!!!”, Volvo is hoping the latest Twilight movie will have the same effect on a somewhat older and more feminine audience as the central male character, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), will be seen throughout the film driving a 2010 Volvo XC60.

Twitter and Facebook and MySpace, oh my!

“Volvo is central to Edward’s character in the Twilight saga,” said Doug Speck, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “One lucky fan will solve all of the puzzles in Volvo’s New Moon interactive game and win a new XC60. While the XC60 doesn’t come equipped with a vampire, the winner will experience the power, beauty and protection that is Volvo-and it will transport them to all of their great moments in life.”

In addition to the U.S., other Volvo markets participating in the competition will be Canada, the U.K., France and Germany.

Win your own Volvo sans Kristen Stewart

Starting November 1, players can register at http://www.whatdrivesedward.com/ and will receive clues to help solve a series of puzzles. Since the puzzles increase in difficulty, players are encouraged to exchange hints through Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. The game runs for three weeks from November 1 through November 23.

In case fans were wondering, here are the specifics of the XC60 Edward drives in the movie:

Model: XC60
Exterior color: Saville Grey metallic
Interior: sandstone beige/espresso, cream leather steering wheel
Accessories: Achilles diamond cut wheels, side scuff plates, front bumper bar, rear skid plates