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Friday, March 27, 2015

The 26 Best Auto Show Concept Cars Of The 21st Century

Are auto shows dying? Many auto journalists think so. Do new vehicles all look the same? Perhaps to you, a consumer in the compact car category. Are concept cars with no future as a production vehicle annoying? In a sense.

But as art, concept cars serve a purpose as examples of what an automakers design department can do when given a huge budget, few parameters, and no practicality or production concerns.

We can hope automobile manufacturers will be able to keep a few secrets in the lead up to January 2015s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. Maybe there will be something special, not just production versions of upcoming luxury crossovers and flashier potential versions of existing cars, but truly special design.

Interesting surfaces. Inventive detailing. New ideas.

If so, this list will be in need of an update. Heading in to the Detroit auto show, however, these are our 26 favourites of the 21st century. You will disagree. Wholeheartedly, we suspect.

26. Dodge Kahuna

Both ahead of and behind the times, the Kahuna is just one of a dozen or more Chrysler Group concepts we could have placed on this list if we werent interested in spreading the wealth around.

25. Lexus LF-LC

The LF-LC is an opinion divider, but it signaled that Lexus could break free from convention. Quite nicely.

24. Jeep Willys 2

Is it easier for Jeep to impress us with something crazy because the core elements never change? Or is it more difficult because there are untouchable elements?

23. Volvo T6 Roadster

Some concepts are great because they fit the image of the company. Others, like the T6 Roadster, are perfect because they come completely out of the blue.

22. Mazda Ibuki

This is not what all Miata enthusiasts wanted to see, but it was a whole new take, vital for a car that could have devolved into a painfully slow evolutionary process.

21. Hyundai HCD-14

The HCD is a little bit crazy. OK, its a lot a bit crazy. Its very, truly, overwhelmingly crazy. But it works.

20. Ford Bronco

Ford has introduced a number of brutish, silver truck concepts. This is the best of the bunch.

19. Chevrolet Nomad

It mixes retro and originality rather than just relying on the work a designer completed 40 years ago.

18. Volvo 3CC

Blissfully abnormal, but with a purpose.

17. Lamborghini Estoque

Yes, the modern Miura concept is more eye-catching, but its not original. This sharp-edged knife of a sedan is modern Lamborghini at its best.

16. Infiniti Essence

Its very curvy and flowy and long and low and wide.

15. Chevrolet Code 130R

This is perfect for making auto writers say, "But Chevy, there really is a market for this." Probably not.

14. Buick Velite

Theyll give us a version of the Opel Cascada. This would be so much more in keeping with Buicks premium history.

13. Ford Interceptor

Should we be surprised that a traditional American automaker can design an impressive, classically American full-size sedan?

12. Dodge M80

Itd be a Ram if they introduced it now. Regardless, it strikes a nice balance between outlandish and realistic.

11. Dodge Hornet

Its not pretty, but its a Dodge subcompact with proper Dodge attitude.

10. Kia GT4 Stinger

On a list full of stuff that wont or didnt or cant happen, the GT4 Stinger might have a future.

9. Mazda Shinari

The production 6 looks good. But with no limitations, Mazda can do way better.

8. Volvo Coupe

Classic proportions mix with Volvos classic and modern flavours.

7. Toyota FT-1

When TVR takes over Toyota.

6. Ford Start

Smooth like a beautiful bubble.

5. BMW X Coupe

Bangle themes - on the right day, in the right light, in the right mood - pleased the right (or wrong?) person.

4. Volvo XC Coupe

Just not quite as good as #3.

3. Volvo Estate

Nobody does wagons like Volvo. Volvo, unfortunately, doesnt do wagons like this.

2. Cadillac Sixteen

Why is the Escalade SUV left on its own to be a big, bold, high-priced Cadillac?

1. Volkswagen Bulli

Take my money.

There are precious few cars whose anniversaries call for celebration on Goodwood Festival of Speed four decades down the road � but this year is the Porsche 917s 40th birthday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Goodwood Festival of Speed marks the occasion with the largest gathering of 917s ever seen in Britain, including short- and long-tailed cars and CanAm derivatives.

And yet, while most enthusiasts will know about the 917 and its fearsome reputation, its harder to explain to the layman why its cult status has endured. The car had a competitive life of just two years and there have been faster and more successful cars before and since � many of them from the same company � so why has the 917s fame survived for so long?

BMW 120 Plenty Of Power In All The Right Places

BMW has the some of the worlds finest engineering, and this leading edge build quality is still very

much apparent in the Baby Beemer. Amazingly, the BMW 120d has the performance figures to not only match but to better the petrol alternative. And with a fuel economy offically being claimed at 6.6 L/100 km, one would wonder "Why not a diesel?"

With 115 KW of power in the latest version and a time of around 8 second to reach 100 km/h from a standstill, these are some serious perfomance figures in a small car of this typeand practicatily. The manufactures top speed is quoted at being over 220 km/h. That, in my book, is quite impressive from a 2 litre turbo diesel engine. Lets just add here that the BMW 120d also has a thumping 340 Nm of torque on tap at alow 1750 rpm.

With ABS (Anti Lock Brakes), ESP (Electronic Stability), dynamic stability control, front seabelt pretensioners, and front driver and passenger airbags plus front side airbags, the BMW 120d is well equipped in the safety arena. Crash tests have rated the BMW 120d with a five star, too.

Perhaps not a car for big families, but the BMW 120d is certainly fantastic as a second car or for a couple to own. And with crisp handling ant loads of grip, the BMW 120d is a very pleasing small car alternative.

GCBCs Favourite Videos Of The Week Friday March 13 2015

Whether this becomes a regular feature on GCBC remains to be seen, but well explore that idea later. For now, check out our five favourite videos in GCBCs YouTube subscriber list from the last week. You wouldnt be surprised to learn that we subscribe to a lot of car channels, but there may be something unexpected tucked in there, too.

#1: Few car lovers make a more informative video than evo founder Harry Metcalfe. Heres his Geneva auto show walk-around.

#2: Whats this, Top Gear with no Clarkson?

#3: Video reviews of the 2015 Ford Edge arent yet all that common. Luke Vandezandes clip has all the usual high production values of a typical AutoGuide clip.

#4: Three pedals? And a lever? Chris Harris On Cars.

#5: From Last Week Tonight With John Oliver: How Is Daylight Saving Time Still A Thing?

2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited Review Less Style Less Power More Of Everything Else

In the corners of our brain where the abstract controls the synapses, trains run on time only if we allow a car to charm us, to woo and seduce and enchant.

I find the sound of a Jaguar F-Type V8 S appealing and the wind-in-my-hair romanticism of a Mazda MX-5 captivating and Im fascinated by the roofline of Mercedes-Benzs CLS Shooting Brake.

THE GOOD
• Improved ride quality
• Feels more, not less powerful
• Interior feels Genesis-like
• Turbo 2.0L is a cheap upgrade
• Always a great value

THE BAD

• Styling has far less impact

• Over-assisted brake pedal
• Very comfort-oriented
• 2.4L getz buzzy
• Hard centre armrest

There are other corners of our brain, however, that look a lot like spreadsheets. And on those spreadsheets, there are no columns for charm or seduction or fascination.

Increasingly, midsize cars perform very poorly in the corners of my brain first mentioned, and exceedingly well in the latter.

Hyundais 2015 Sonata is one such car.

Ive operated under the impression that there was a certain subjective appeal to the outgoing car, a vehicle which was, at the very least, good enough on spreadsheets to allow some consumers to buy the car almost on the merits of its unique exterior design alone.

2015 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED
Base Price * (CDN): $25,817
As-Tested Price * (CDN): $34,817

Engine: 2.4L DOHC 16-valve I-4
Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Horsepower: 185 @ 6000 rpm

Torque: 178 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Curb Weight: 3466 pounds
Drive Type: front-wheel-drive
Length: 191.1 inches
Width: 73.4 inches
Height: 58.1 inches
Wheelbase: 110.4 inches
Passenger Volume: 3004 litres
Cargo Volume: 462 litres
EPA City: 25 mpg

EPA Highway: 37 mpg
NRCAN OEE City: 9.8 L/100km
NRCAN OEE Hwy: 6.7 L/100km
Observed: 30.9 mpg
Observed: 7.6 L/100km
* includes destination/delivery.
MPG fuel economy ratings from the
Environmental Protection Agency.
L/100km ratings from the
Canadian Office of Energy Efficiencys
new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles.

On sale in early 2010, the sixth-gen Sonata didnt look at all like any of its rivals, with swept-back headlights, a long chrome beltline, and a coupe-like roofline.

It was a revolutionary departure for Hyundai, especially given the stodginess of its predecessor.

Many of the same themes have been carried forward for 2015, but the revolution has ended. Hyundai clearly feels as though theyve made it, as though theyve established a place for the Sonata in Americas competitive midsize sector and no longer need to market the most eye-catching car in the class.

Youve probably seen the car live by now and rendered your verdict; you can look at the images if not.

Personally, Im let down, as it feels to me as though the seventh-generation Sonata looks like it could have been the car that arrived before the sixth-generation Sonata, before Hyundai decided to make the Sonata less stodgy; less upright; less formal.

Instead, so-called progress has resulted in a car that simply doesnt appear like the next new thing.

Its wheelwells are too big for its wheels, which on this specific car are terribly Buick circa 1996. Theres a vast amount of acreage between the top of the rear wheel and the C-pillar. Visually, the car rides too high. LEDs have been too liberally scattered across the front end.

Inside, however, a return to a more conventional layout – more horizontal, less vertical – has caused the 2015 Sonata to seem quite a bit more Genesis-like. Regardless of equipment levels, and despite the fact that the current Elantra is no poor car, the outgoing Sonata always felt more or less like an Elantra Plus, particularly inside. Meanwhile, the current Accord comes across as much more than one single step upmarket from the Civic. With improved material quality and a more modern design, the Sonata is now class-competitive inside.

In terms of the simplicity of its controls and its overall intuitiveness, Id argue that the 2015 Sonata is class-leading. Theres no getting-to-know-you process with the latest Hyundai/Kia infotainment units, and in this case, theres no difficulty reaching across to the most distant buttons, either, as the whole centre panel is canted nicely toward the driver.

Unfortunately, the softness of the exterior design has been matched by a softening of the Sonatas suspension. On the plus side, this pays dividends in ride quality, which is excellent.

Compared with the previous Sonata, the most notable improvement in ride quality is out back. But the Sonata lacks the edge of the Mazda 6, the firmness of the Honda Accord, and the European undertones of the Ford Fusion, which quite artfully balances ride quality with a degree of athleticism. The Sonatas three drive modes present slight differences, with Eco definitely being eco-minded in its throttle mapping and shift strategy, and Sport clearly generating more steering weight, but none of the modes seriously alters the intentions of the car.

• Historical Monthly & Yearly Hyundai Sonata Sales Figures
• 2014 Mazda 6 GT Driven Review
• 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI Highline Driven Review
• 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring Driven Review

Not for a minute am I suggesting that this emphasis on total comfort isnt what buyers want, only that Hyundais successful drive to improve the Sonatas suspension calibration could have been executed with more of a blend.

Then again, we spent our week with a Sonata Limited, a very well-equipped car, but one that was fitted with conservative Kumho P215/55R/17s. Riding on the Sports 235/45R18s, with its slightly different steering setup (rack-mounted, rather than column-mounted electric power assist) and altered suspension, the Sport 2.0T could produce rather different on-road character traits.

Limited trim Sonatas start at $34,817 (freight included), and bring to the Sonatas equipment portfolio adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, premium Infinity audio, cooled leather seating, and a host of other doodads. The aforementioned turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder adds 60 horsepower to the base Sonatas 185; torque is upgraded from 178 lb-ft to 260.

All these numbers are lower than they were just one model year ago, and lower than the kind of mind-boggling V6 numbers youll find in, for instance, the Chrysler 200. In the 2.4L, however, torque thankfully comes on stream early, at just 4000 rpm, and the Sonata therefore doesnt feel slow. The 2.4L does become too buzzy at high rpm, and it runs out of gumption as revs rise. Thus, if you want care to acquire turbocharged 2.0L powerplant, Canadian pricing starts at a more affordable $32,817. $36,617 Ultimate 2.0Ts are Limited-like, but with the extra power. (Moving up from Sport and Sport Tech to Sport 2.0T costs just $2600 and $800, respectively.)

2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited drive mode selector

Thats a lot of car for the money, particularly now that the Sonata feels as nicely assembled inside (with materials of similar – if not better – quality) as the segments top sellers.

Love it or hate it, the outgoing Sonata was a car which, stylistically speaking, stood out from the midsize pack. Any hope that Hyundai would once again move the game forward on the design front has most certainly been lost.

Yet no one specific individual, save for the midsize sedan buyer himself, is the final arbiter on the success of Hyundais exterior revamp. Is this new 2015 Sonata half as intriguing a proposition as the old model was in its first model year? Probably not, at least not in the dark recesses of my subjective mind.

But is it twice as appealing on purely objective terms? Quite possibly, with improved all-around dynamics, ride quality thatll shame most premium cars, an enhanced cabin, and observed fuel economy in mixed driving of 7.6 L/100km.

In this transition year for the Sonata, its Canadian sales tumbled 36% in the first half of 2014. More recently, Sonata sales jumped 42% in July, when it was Canadas top-selling midsize car, and volume more than doubled in August. At that rate, because Hyundai appears to be giving the people what the peoples spreadsheets want, the Sonata would be back on track to achieve in excess of 2011s record-setting Canadian sales pace.

Specs and Review

Friday, March 27, 2015

The 26 Best Auto Show Concept Cars Of The 21st Century

Mercedes 300 SLR on Goodwood Festival of Speed

Thursday, March 26, 2015

BMW 120 Plenty Of Power In All The Right Places

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

GCBCs Favourite Videos Of The Week Friday March 13 2015

Thursday, March 19, 2015

2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited Review Less Style Less Power More Of Everything Else