Despite sales drops for most major automakers, Chrysler bucks the trend by posting a year over year increase for August of 7%. Jeep posted big numbers with the Patriot jumping 57% and the Liberty climbing 56%. The most glaring number was the Dodge Challenger muscle car shooting up a whopping 190%. For most companies it would be a solid month but for the rebuilding Fiat/Chrysler it bodes exceptionally well for their prospects once the new models hit showrooms in 2011.
From the Detroit Free Press:
Chrysler defied the industry trend with a 7% increase in new vehicle sales in August from a year earlier when Cash for Clunkers inflated most of its competitors’ sales.
Once again, the Jeep brand led the way with a 17% year-over-year jump, helped by a 57% sales improvement for the Patriot and 56% increase for the Liberty.
But Chrysler’s year-over-year comparison benefited from the fact that it did not capitalize on last summer’s Cash for Clunker incentives because it had very little inventory of its smaller models.
“We will continue to build in this momentum as we begin production on a stream of new product through the end of this year,” said Fred Diaz, Chrysler lead executive for U.S. sales.
Our friends at AutoBlog.com did us all a favor and covered the Woodward Dream Cruise in full force! Check out these great pics of muscle cars, classic cars and just about anything you might see on wheels. This is a long tradition that was in need of a comeback year and it looks like Woodward is back! The 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 is one of my favorites.
Every year, the muscle car is the most well-represented vehicle type at the Woodward Dream Cruise. And with good reason: These burly V8-powered steeds reinforce Detroit’s legend as the Motor City.
As we discussed in our post on Woodward’s classic cars, we’ve kinda sorta arbitrarily split American automotive history into two parts, using 1964 as the dividing line. Everything post-1964 is a muscle car… at least for our purposes. With that in mind, take a look at a bunch of classic Mustangs, Chevelles, Corvettes and, of course, Pontiac GTOs in our high-res image gallery below.
Here is a video we found featuring the new Chevrolet (can we still say “Chevy”?) Cruze with the car making it’s own music. The article is more about marketing but I was trying to check out the Cruze more than anything else in this catchy video. A lot of cues from the Malibu here and I must say it’s a pretty sharp looking ride. The Cruze is a big deal for GM so I’m sure we’re going to see a lot of this car in the coming months.
Check out this Matte Black Infiniti G37 by Access Evolution and rethink your previous thoughts on Matte finish. Our friends at AutoGuide.com bring up some great points regarding the detail of this car but we must part ways on the wheels. We feel they look great and really set off the car! The wheels are the work of Forgiato and the bright green calipers are from Access Evolution.
Probably won’t ever see this in person but if our readers do please send over a pic!
We’ll be honest, we thought this whole matte black car craze would die out sooner than it has. We’re getting tired of seeing yet another poorly-done flat black car, but damn if this Infiniti G37 sedan doesn’t just look incredible. With the facelift on the new G37 sedan, we’ve been anticipating what the aftermarket would do with its new, more aggressive lines and this entry is everything we’ve been dreaming of.
Based out of Japan, Access Evolution decked out this sedan with products from their Exclusive Sport line. The matte black makes it a very aggressive VIP style rather than the sleek gloss black that’s normally related to the traditional “bad ass” VIP style. It’s amazing how simply making the car matte black instead of glossy black makes it sporty rather than luxurious.
VW’s pursuit of becoming the king of sales is slowly taking shape with the upcoming relaunch of the Phaeton in the U.S. Most remember the failure of this vehicle the first time around but don’t use that as a measuring stick this time. Volkswagen has reworked this luxury sedan and sales appear to be strong in other markets. I’m pretty certain a fine tuned Marketing and PR campaign will put the Phaeton in a position to register some solid sales numbers. Maybe fine tuning the price might help too!
From AutoGuide.com:
BERLIN (Bloomberg) — Volkswagen AG plans to bring back the $85,000 Phaeton to the U.S., where the flagship sedan flopped and was withdrawn in 2006.
The Phaeton’s U.S. relaunch is part of the German carmaker’s aim of tripling its share of the world’s second-largest market by 2018.
“We have our eyes firmly set on the U.S. market,” Juergen Borrmann, director of Volkswagen’s plant in Dresden, Germany, where the Phaeton is built, said in an interview. The model for the U.S. will be completely redesigned and retooled, he said.
Is Lamborghini going to follow the lead of Porsche and produce a 4 door sedan coupe? Check out the Estoque Concept and let us know your thoughts. Will the brand image of Lamborghini and a sleek roof line bring in the buyers and possibly change the game for super powered 4 door sedan coupes? Can’t wait to see a head to head between the Estoque and Panamera!
From AutoGuide.com:
With Porsche and Aston Martin making headway with their Panamera and Rapide four-door coupes, Lamborghini is apparently open to the idea of a four door sedan coupe similar to their Estoque concept car.
CEO Stephan Winkelmann is reported as saying to journalists that “a third model would fit Lamborghini very well”, and “a four-door car would be a very feasible approach.” But with the Estoque originally shelved in 2009 and sales down 18 percent versus last year.
The Estoque would need to give Lamborghini “a real leap” in sales for the company to justify the investment. While the four door coupe segment is currently on fire, there’s no telling whether the sector will continue to be hot, and a poorly timed introduction could spell doom for Lamborghini.
The Camaro and Mustang duel will go to a new level once the Camaro Z/28 is released. The new Camaro offering is reportedly going to boast a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 pumping no less than 556 horsepower which will put in within reach of the Mustang Shelby GT500. Our friends at Insideline.com were able to obtain some spy shots of these two beasts taking a few laps at the track!
Another 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 sighting this week, and this time it was running shakedown laps with a 2011 Shelby GT500. Evidently, Chevy engineers have gotten wind of just how good the top Mustang has gotten, and are doing their due dilgence to ensure the supercharged Camaro won’t come up short in a burnout competition or anywhere else.
Last September we told you a resurrected Camaro Z/28, with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 making at least 556 horsepower, was about a year out, and as the months are fast running out, it shouldn’t be long before the official debut. It should be a very good auto show season.
Are you a Mustang fan? If so, you are going to love the new 2012 Mustang Boss 302! This brings back the days of the almighty 302 rumbling down the road. The Boss will sport a 5.0L V8 making 440 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque with upgraded clutch and serious “sound effects”. The Black and Red color combo on the Boss pictured hits the mark for this ride!
From AutoGuide.com:
Ford’s 2012 Boss 302 Mustang is destined to excited enthusiasts everywhere, but the car has been a poorly kept secret for fans of Grand-Am racing, who have watched Ford unveil a Boss 302R race car and slowly develop it into the 2012 Boss 302 road-going variant.
With a re-worked 5.0L V8 making 440 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, the Boss packs significant power upgrades over the standard 5.0 model. A re-worked exhaust and intake system are standard, with the exhaust using trick quad pipes that exit out of the back bumper as well as just before the rear wheels. The side pipes are mostly there to give an added boost in V8 rumble, but engineers have made the exhaust to be tunable via a set of discs that can alter the sound, and made the installation process for a set of aftermarket dump valves designed to be a matter of undoing a couple of bolts. An upgraded clutch and 3.73 rear end put the power to the ground, while a limited-slip differential is optional as are Recaro seats.
For all of you 1st time car buyers out there here is a great article in the Chicago Tribune.
From the Chicago Tribune:
Mom’s scrapbook includes (or will include) a photo of you with your first car, for good reason. It is a badge of your independence, financially and figuratively. Acquiring your first wheels, though, is a road pocked with potholes. So, before you allow shiny new cars to blur your judgment, cruise the Internet and scour the media to narrow down your choices and determine what your budget allows, then bone up on what to watch out for when you go out to dealerships.
The bible of the industry is Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com), which lists prices. Search dealer inventories on nadaguides.com. Consumer Reports magazine (consumerreports.org) compares cars’ performance. For advice that targets the under-25 set, go to edmunds.com/youngdriver.
GM hits a homerun with the new LaCrosse! There are plenty of unanswered questions out there on whether GM will make it in the long run but for now they have a true winner on their hands. A near luxury sedan like the LaCrosse normally doesn’t catch the eye of the more selective crowd but this car has done just that! With sleek styling, 30mpg on the highway and a price that is affordable to many you have to give props to The General on the Buick LaCrosse.
From the Detroit News:
General Motors Co. just doesn’t get the credit it deserves some times.
A few years ago, GM was the first carmaker — in the world — to mate a six-speed transmission to a four-cylinder engine for a midsize car. Everyone had been talking about it, but no one else had done it.
But when GM announced the Chevy Malibu would include an optional four-cylinder engine with a six-speed tranny, creating a car that hit 32 mpg on the highway, no one seemed to care that much, though many carmakers have followed suit.
