2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, America’s first Prius killer: Motoramic Drives

Over the past 12 years, the Toyota Prius has made hybrid cars a household term and given the carmaker the greenest image of any manufacturer. The competition isn't just sitting on the sidelines and watching the Japanese manufacturer dominate the world's demand for fuel-efficient cars with a growing Prius model line; cars like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf provide some alternative to help consumers save on energy usage. But no model from Detroit has taken a direct aim at the Prius.

That is, until now. Enter the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, a five-passenger tall hatchback that, like the Prius, will only succeed or fail as a hybrid.

While newcomers tend to challenge incumbents on several levels, Ford hasn't been shy about tacking the Prius head-on with two key features: a cheaper sticker price and better fuel efficiency. At a base of $25,995, the new C-Max Hybrid is $1,300 less than the comparable Prius V. And it carries a 47-mpg city/highway/combined EPA efficiency rating that beats the Toyota Prius V's 44 city/40 highway mark, while offering a range of 570 miles on a single tank of gas.



To get those figures, Ford paired a 2-liter, four-cylinder engine with a a 35-kW permanent-magnet AC motor, a lithium-ion battery pack and a continuously variable transmission. Together, the combined output of 188 hp can propel the 3,600-lb C-Max to 60 mph in about 9 seconds, about a second faster than the Prius V. Those aren't spectacular figures, but the C-Max's innovation may be as much about where it's made than performance alone; like Toyota, Ford builds all of the major C-Max hybrid components in its own factories -- with the C-Max itself assembled in Michigan -- rather than relying on outside suppliers.

Like the Prius V, the 2013 C-Max Hybrid has a tall, wagon-like hatchback profile with seating for five, with a bit more space than the Prius V, and like the Prius V, it's not sold here with the third row of seats available outside the United States. The chassis uses the same setup as the Escape and Focus on which it's based, and the electric power steering is one of the best versions on the market today for feel and weighting. Around twisty mountain roads north of Los Angeles, the C-Max's 17-inch Michelin tires did a great job of holding on to the curves without too many screeching complaints. The suspension, with added roll and yaw control for safety, keeps the car in check when tackling the corners with a little more oomph.

And this is the rare hybrid that can make a curvy mountain road enjoyable at speed. At full throttle, the power delivery of the C-Max is much smoother and more potent than that of the Prius V, without the Prius' sense of being disconnected from the road. The C-Max is not a sports car, but it doesn't drive like what you would expect from a high-mileage hybrid. In more typical city and highway driving, the C-Max is quieter than the Prius V, thanks to the car's active noise cancellation technology.

Ford's technology has caused it some stumbles, with Consumer Reports among others criticizing its MyFord Touch in-dash system as overly complicated, but the C-Max puts the touch screen front and center. Among its tricks: a "SmartGauge with EcoGuide," which coaches drivers on how to proceed more efficiently, such as providing tips on when the brakes are recharging the battery along with an animation of leaves and vines in the instrument panel that grow with energy-saving driving. There's also Ford's parallel-parking assist and the kick-step activated power hatch.

Overall, the Ford C-Max Hybrid offers better driving dynamics, fuel economy and price than the Prius V, and bests other hybrids such as the Honda Insight in usefulness. The C-Max has an uphill battle to overcome the already established image of the Prius brand, the best-selling hybrid in the world. But if Ford has the patience and ambition, and follows through quickly on future C-Max models, it might have a chance by consistently offering better performing cars.

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

CLASS	Four-door, front-wheel-drive hybrid hatchback
ENGINES	2-liter 4-cylinder; 35-kW AC electric motor; lithium-ion battery
TRANSMISSION	Continuously variable transmission
POWER	188 hp total
TORQUE	129 lbs.-ft.
WEIGHT	3,607 lbs.
0-60 MPH	9 seconds (estimated)
EMISSIONS	3.1 tons of CO2/year
MILEAGE	47 mpg city/highway
PRICE RANGE	$25,200 - $28,200
CONS	No getting away from MyFord Touch
PROS	A capable execution of the Prius' tried-and-true formula

source

Chinese farmer builds Lamborghini from

Wang Jian, a young Chinese farmer who worked at a garage for more than a decade, built a replica of Lamborghini Reventon with a second-hand Nissan and Santana. This self-made roadster cost Wang around 60,000 RMB ($9,450) and can reach a maximum speed of 160mph, according to local media's reports.

People look at a self-made replica of Lamborghini Reventon in Suqian, Jiangsu province, August 30, 2012. 

A passerby looks at a self-made replica of Lamborghini Reventon in Suqian, Jiangsu province, August 31, 2012.

A friend of Wang Jian sits in a self-made replica of Lamborghini Reventon, in Suqian, Jiangsu province, August 31, 2012. 

A friend of Wang Jian drives a self-made replica of a Lamborghini Reventon in Suqian, Jiangsu province August 30, 2012. 

People look at a self-made replica of Lamborghini Reventon in Suqian, Jiangsu province, August 30, 2012. 

A friend of Wang Jian sits in a self-made replica of Lamborghini Reventon, in Suqian, Jiangsu province, August 31, 2012. 

Wang Jian and his wife sit in a self-made replica of Lamborghini Reventon, in Suqian, Jiangsu province, August 30, 2012.

People look at a self-made replica of a Lamborghini Reventon as they drive past it in Suqian, Jiangsu province August 30, 2012.

A friend of Wang Jian sits in a self-made replica of a Lamborghini Reventon in Suqian, Jiangsu province August 30, 2012. 

source

News Summary: New government gas mileage rules

The Obama administration on Tuesday finalized regulations that will force automakers to nearly double the average gas mileage of all the new cars and trucks they sell in 2025. All new vehicles would have to average 54.5 miles per gallon in 13 years.

THE IMPACT: The change cuts in half the greenhouse gases produced by the vehicles, and the government says it will save consumers $8,000 in gasoline costs over the life of a vehicle purchased in 2025. But in the arcane world of government regulations, it doesn't mean cars will actually get 54.5 mpg. In real-world mileage, they'll average about 40 mpg.

THE COST: The government says the regulations will drive up the cost of a new car by about $2,800 in 13 years, and critics say that will make them too expensive for many people.

Drivers are being hit with the biggest one-day jump in gasoline prices in 18 months just as the last heavy driving weekend of the summer approaches.

As Hurricane Isaac swamps the nation's oil and gas hub along the Gulf Coast, it's delivering sharply higher pump prices to storm-battered residents of Louisiana and Mississippi — and also to unsuspecting drivers up north in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

The national average price of a gallon of gas jumped almost five cents Wednesday to $3.80, the highest ever for this date. Prices are expected to continue to climb through Labor Day weekend, the end of the summer driving season.

"The national average will keep ticking higher, and it's going to be noticeable," says Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at Gasbuddy.com

The wide storm shut down several refineries along the Gulf Coast and others are operating at reduced rates. In all, about 1.3 million barrels per day of refining capacity is affected. So, it's no surprise that drivers in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida saw gas prices rise by a dime or more in the past week.

But some states in the Midwest are suffering even more dramatic spikes. Ohio prices jumped 14 cents, Indiana prices soared 13 cents and Illinois prices jumped 10 cents on Wednesday alone according to the Oil Price Information Service. Days before Isaac is expected to douse those states with rain, the storm forced the shutdown of a pipeline that serves a number of Midwest refineries.

Drivers in the region were angry and confused. "''I saw gas in my neighborhood for $3.56 a gallon just Tuesday morning, and now I'm paying $3.95. It's terrible," said Mary Allen of Cincinnati as she paid $20 for just over five gallons of gas. She wondered how Isaac could drive up gas prices in Ohio — and then resigned herself to a holiday weekend without travel.

The price surge is happening at the wrong time and the wrong place for Dickson Stewart, a 56-year-old electronics consultant, who is driving from Minneapolis to Savannah, Ga. this week. He stopped at a BP station in downtown Chicago Tuesday — home to some of the highest retail prices in the country — and paid $4.49 a gallon to fill up his Jeep Wrangler.

Stewart expects gas prices to fall after Labor Day. Analysts say he's probably right.

As Isaac fades away, the summer driving season ends, and refiners switch to cheaper winter blends of gasoline, stations owners should start dropping prices. "There is some very good relief in sight," DeHaan says.

When Katrina hit in 2005, the national average for gas spiked 40 cents in six days and topped $3 per gallon for the first time. Isaac likely won't have the same result, though its full impact on the refineries is yet to be determined.

The refineries are not expected to suffer long term damage. But refiners decided to shut down or run at reduced rates to protect their operations.

These facilities consume enormous amounts of electric power and generate steam to cook crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and heating oil. If a refinery loses power suddenly, operators can't properly clear the partially cooked oil out of pipes, and re-starting the refinery can take several days or even weeks.

In advance of Isaac, refineries instead conducted what is known as an orderly shutdown, so they can re-start as soon as the power supply is assured again. The Gulf refineries will likely stay off line for about three days.

Isaac cut into the amount of gasoline being produced, and raised fears that supplies could fall dangerously low if the storm proved worse than expected. When supplies drop or are threatened, wholesale prices rise. Then distributors and station owners have to pay more to fill up their station's tanks. They then raise their prices based on how much they paid for their current inventory, how much they think they will have to pay for their next shipment, and, how much their competitors are charging.

Prices spiked particularly high in the Midwest because Isaac forced Shell to close a pipeline that delivers crude from St. James, La. to refineries in the region.

Gasoline prices are particularly vulnerable to spikes around this time of year. Refiners keep a low supply of more expensive blends as driving season ends, knowing they'll soon be able to make cheaper winter blends of gasoline.

"We are really working with a just-in-time delivery system," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price 

Information Service.

Pump prices were on the rise even before Isaac blew in. The average price for gas rose about 40 cents from July 1 to mid-August because of higher oil prices and refinery problems in the Midwest and West Coast. At $3.80 per gallon, the national average is the highest since May 1 and well above the previous record for Aug. 29, $3.67 in 2008.

Wednesday's jump of a nickel was the 10th biggest one-day jump on record, according to OPIS, and the biggest since the average price rose 6 cents on February 15, 2011 when turmoil in Libya was rising.

But prices could quickly come down if refineries can soon get up and running. Crude oil prices fell Wednesday and wholesale gasoline prices fell the past two days, suggesting the spike in retail gasoline prices could be short-lived. Americans will soon do less driving and the switch to cheaper blends will be well underway by mid-September.

That's still too late for Sharon Simon of Gadsden, Ala. She's driving 900 miles north to her daughter's wedding in Olean, N.Y. this weekend, and will now have to spend an extra $30 to $50 on gasoline for the trip. "Just as we are getting ready to head out the prices go up," she said. "I'm fed up with the surge in price every time there is a holiday."

source

Diesel vs. gas: Which really saves money?

Diesel vehicles get remarkable fuel economy, but it’s sometimes not enough to make them a better value overall than their gas counterparts.

The main reason is the higher pricetag: on average a diesel is $5,045 more than a gas-powered version of the same model, according to Vincentric LLC, a research firm in Bingham Farms, Mich.

Beyond the purchase amount, diesels also end up costing a little extra to own and maintain. That’s partly because some new diesel vehicles are required to have a reservoir of urea, which gets injected into the exhaust and neutralizes some of the pollutants.

With this so-called “clean-diesel” technology, emissions are now cleaner than what comes from many gasoline vehicles—which is a major role reversal. But there is added maintenance involved in replenishing the reservoirs and making sure the more complex diesel engine is running properly.

“We found that diesels typically have slightly higher insurance, repair and maintenance costs,” says David Wurster, president of Vincentric, which specializes in calculating total cost of ownership and chose diesels for its most recent alternative fuel analysis.

“An additional noteworthy point is that on a percentage basis, diesels have lower depreciation, but because they cost more to purchase, their total dollars of depreciation are higher,” Wurster says. (Some might argue that diesel is not technically an alternative fuel, but it’s not exactly mainstream in the United States either, given that only a small fraction of vehicles use it.)

The Diesel vs. Gas Showdown

Vincentric analyzed 23 diesels on sale in the United States—11 of them classified as commercial vehicles and 12 as consumer vehicles. It looked at overall cost of ownership for five years, with 15,000 miles driven annually. Based on this analysis, nine diesels had five-year ownership costs that are lower than equivalent models with gasoline engines. We list them in descending order based on overall savings versus their gas equivalents.

Vincentric, a research firm in Bingham Farms, Mich., specializes in calculating cost of ownership for vehicles and tracks more than 2,000 models. Nine factors go into its cost of ownership calculations: purchase price, depreciation, financing, fees and taxes, fuel, insurance, maintenance, repairs and opportunity cost. The price it uses for fuel is a weighted national average for the previous five months, to better reflect market trends, rather than market extremes.


 
2012 Mercedes-Benz GL350 Bluetec 4Matic

Overall savings compared with the gas-powered GL450 4Matic: $10,128
Fuel savings: $4,750

The GL-Class is Mercedes’ largest crossover. It was refreshed for 2012 with minor styling changes. The GL350 Bluetec has a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel that puts out 210 hp and gets an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway and 19 mpg overall.

Its substantial fuel savings** of $4,750 helps the GL350 Bluetec achieve the highest total savings of any diesel vehicle for which Vincentric calculated five-year ownership costs. Vincentric estimates that the purchase price* is only $101 higher than that of the gas-powered GL450 4Matic.


 
2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec 4Matic

Overall savings compared with the gas-powered S550: $6,015
Fuel savings: $4,003

The Mercedes S350 Bluetec 4Matic is the least expensive S-Class model. It is one of just a few diesel vehicles in Vincentric’s study with a lower purchase price relative to its gas-powered counterpart.

Just going on the suggested retail price, the diesel S350 is $2,450 less than the S550, which has a V-8 engine that runs on gasoline. But Vincentric, which tries to ascertain what buyers are actually paying, pegs the S350 purchase price* at $3,418 less.

The S350 is the only S-Class model with all-wheel drive. The others are rear-wheel drive, which makes its fuel savings** of $4,003 more remarkable. It has a more powerful version of the 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel that’s in the Mercedes GL350 Bluetec. The engine produces 240 hp and gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 25 mpg overall.


 
2012 Volkswagen Touareg TDI

Overall savings compared to gas-powered Touareg: $4,447
Fuel savings: $2,840

The VW Touareg Diesel is a pricey midsize crossover with rugged capabilities. Its 240-hp V-6 gets 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined, according to the EPA—respectable for such a large and heavy vehicle.

Its purchase price* is $3,322 higher than the gas-powered Touareg. But taking into account its five-year cost of ownership, Vincentric estimates that the diesel will end up saving owners a total $4,447 over the gas model—including a $2,840 fuel savings**.

 
2012 Audi A3 2.0T TDI

Overall savings compared to gas-powered A3 2.0T: $3,583
Fuel savings: $3,793

The A3 is the smallest car Audi sells in the United States. It’s only available as a four-door hatchback. Vincentric estimates that the purchase price* of the diesel A3 is $1,630 higher than the comparable gas-powered version.

The A3 2.0T TDI is less expensive to insure and maintain versus the gasoline version of the A3. That combined with fuel savings** of $3,792 make for a lower five-year cost of ownership. The EPA estimates fuel economy of 30 mpg city, 42 mpg highway and 34 mpg combined.


 
2012 Mercedes-Benz R350 Bluetec 4Matic

Overall savings compared to gas-powered R350 4Matic: $3,181
Fuel savings: $1,832

The R-Class is Mercedes’ version of a minivan, except with rear doors that swing out, rather than slide open. The diesel R350 Bluetec 4Matic has a purchase price* $844 lower than that of the gasoline R350 4Matic. Vincentric also calculates significantly lower depreciation for the diesel version versus the gasoline one, saving owners $2,142 over five years.

The R350 Bluetec 4Matic uses the same 210-hp 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel as the GL350 Bluetec 4Matic. The EPA estimates fuel economy of 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined. Sales of the R-Class have been sluggish ever since its introduction for the 2006 model year. After 2012, it will no longer be available in the United States.


 
2012 BMW X5 xDrive35d

Overall savings compared to gas-powered Touareg: $4,447
Fuel savings: $2,840

Never mind that BMW X5 xDrive35d has an awkward name—this midsize crossover is a good value. It’s one of only three diesels with a purchase price* as calculated by Vincentric that is lower than that of its gas-powered counterpart, the BMW xDrive35i, albeit just $597 lower.This lower price has a positive domino effect on five-year ownership, allowing for lower depreciation, finance and other associated costs. Only insurance and repairs are higher with the diesel X5, but not by much. With fuel savings** of $2,405, the diesel handily beats its gasoline counterpart, saving $2,751 over five years. The X5 xDrive35d features a 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel engine with 265 hp. It gets an EPA-estimated 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 combined.


 
2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 Bluetec 4Matic

Overall savings compared to gas-powered ML350 4Matic: $2,473
Fuel savings: $2,336

Mercedes’ midsize ML350 Bluetec crossover gets the 240-hp version of the company’s 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel, with an EPA estimated fuel economy of 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined.

Although its purchase price* as estimated by Vincentric is $1,397 higher than that of the gas model, the diesel saves owners $2,336 in fuel costs** and $767 in maintenance over five years of ownership. Factoring in slightly higher finance, insurance and repair costs versus the gasoline version, the ML350 Bluetec saves owners a total of $2,473 over five years.


 
2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 Bluetec

Overall savings compared to gas-powered E350: $2,204
Fuel savings: $3,145

The gas-powered midsize E-Class sedan is one of Mercedes’ most popular models. The E350 Bluetec diesel sells in far fewer numbers. It costs $1,965 more to purchase* than a gas-powered E350. Besides that, the diesel E350 Bluetec has marginally higher costs in nearly every category that Vincentric tracks, including most notably finance and repairs.

But its impressive fuel savings** of $3,145 help compensate for it all and result in savings of $2,204 over five years of ownership when compared to its gasoline counterpart. The E350 Bluetec has a 210-hp 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel that gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.


 

2012 Ford F-350 Diesel

Overall savings compared to gas-powered F-350: $1,131
Fuel savings: $1,999

Of the seven full-size, heavy-duty diesel pickup trucks Vincentric studied, the Ford F-350 is the only one with five year ownership costs that are lower than that of its gas-powered equivalent.

The Ford F-350 Diesel has a 400-hp 6.7-liter V-8 turbodiesel engine. Although it only has 15 hp more than the gasoline 6.2-liter V-8 also offered in the F-350, it has almost double the torque, at an impressive 800 lb.-ft. What that means in practical terms is that the F-350 Diesel is more capable at towing and hauling heavy loads. It also depreciates less, according to Vincentric, retaining $822 more of its value over five years of ownership than the gas-powered F-350. That and its impressive fuel savings** help the F-350 Diesel overcome its $5,355 higher purchase price* and higher ownership costs, resulting in savings of $1,131 over five years of ownership compared with its gas counterpart.


source

Blue Moon Science

Blue Moon is set to rise in the night sky this Friday, August 31. But, do you know what a Blue Moon is, exactly? If you have been wondering about this then keep reading.

First of all, let me make it clear that the term Blue Moon has nothing to do with the color. It is just another full moon. And there is nothing special about the color of the moon.

The term Blue Moon was first traced by ‘Sky and Telescope’ magazine in 1946. Then, the term apparently referred to the third full moon in a season that contains four full moons. 

 

Normally, a season of three months contains only three full moons. But, due to the shorter length of lunar months (29.5 days) compared to solar months, four full moons occasionally get squeezed into a single season.

But the author of the ‘Sky and Telescope’ article misinterpreted this complicated definition, declaring that a Blue Moon is actually the second full moon in a month with two full moons.

In 1980, the new (and wrong) meaning attained widespread usage as it was used during a broadcast of the radio show. And in 1981, the unscientific term became a general knowledge as the developer of a game defined the term as it was defined by the ‘Sky and Telescope’ author.

So that is why Friday's full moon is known as a Blue Moon. It really is no different than any other full moon, except that an accident of the calendar causes it to be the second full moon in the month of August, the first having been on Aug. 1. And, on average, blue moons come along once every 2.7 years.

2014 Mazda6 review adn pictures

 

Mazda is in a hurry. The Japanese carmaker's financial struggles over the past two years have left it in need of an immediate sales boost, not just at home but in the United States and Europe. Which is why Mazda took to today's Moscow Motor Show to unveil the 2014 Mazda6 midsize sedan, a car that will need to be successful to keep Mazda afloat.

For a type of vehicle bought by millions of Americans every year, midsize sedans don't spur much enthusiasm. They're meant to shuttle commuters and occasionally families quickly, efficiently and reliably, without fail for years on end. With all five of the top-selling sedans either recently redesigned or soon to be, Mazda needed a major upgrade of the Mazda6 -- a model that was about 15 percent too small for Americans, and never sold well on these shores.

 

Sporting a toned-down version of the styling Mazda's been featuring on its concept cars over the past few years, the new Mazda6 grows to match the dimensions of the class-leading Toyota Camry. As is the trend among the latest generation of sedans, this redesign focused on fuel economy, with Mazda's trick being a capacitor-powered regenerative braking system whose energy can power many of the car's electronics, saving a little fuel.

 

Mazda says the Moscow mule doesn't reflect the precise specifications of the U.S.-bound Mazda6, but we'd expect similar engine choices -- a 2-liter four-cylinder good for 147 hp, and a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder capable of 189 hp. On the European test cycle, those engines combined with Mazda's 6-speed manual can touch 40 mpg; the U.S. specs will be lower, but Mazda will clearly aim to take the current title of most efficient midsize sedan away from the 2013 Nissan Altima and its 31 mpg combined rating.

Inside, there's a modest freshening, but unlike other automakers Mazda hasn't embraced the knob-and-button-free approach to dashboard controls. Even its speedometer looks like an analog throwback compared to the jumbotron-like displays turning up in new vehicles. Mazda's financial situation requires it to stick to the basics -- and if it does so well enough, more Americans in the same position might give it a look.]

source

Hottest paint color? Not silver anymore

Silver was the most popular exterior car color in America for nearly a decade. But while it remains beloved by automotive designers for best showing off a car's styling, its unstinting argent reign was finally overthrown this year. By white. According to Sandy McGill, BMW Designworks' lead designer in color, materials, and finish, this is Steve Jobs' doing. "Prior to Apple, white was associated with things like refrigerators or the tiles in your bathroom. Apple made white valuable."

Valuable, yet boring. So while the rise in white's snowy stock may be good news for the luxury market — white is high maintenance, thus luxurious — it's a pale palliative for those of us with a bit more pigment in their palette. Fortunately, our expert interviews and analysis reveal that more enticing colors are emerging.

Light blue's ascension is connected to environmental wellbeing: clear skies, clean water. Crisp oranges are migrating from the world of high-end outdoor equipment. New paint technology may finally allow fashion's passion for fluorescents to flow from the runways onto the highways. And, as always, the smart money's on gold: as its price and profile have skyrocketed, so has its demand as a coating.

But the most enticing color trend, from our perspective, is the return of brown. After all, what could be more compelling to unicorn-riding Rainbow Brites like us than the hue derived — as any child left too long at an easel will readily demonstrate — from combining every shade in the visible spectrum?

As recently as 2008 articles and experts were prognosticating the "extinction" of brown as an automotive exterior color: it was too rooted in the malaise of the 1970s, it blended in too well with the scenery, it lowered resale value. Even the aesthetically-bereft American Automobile Association (AAA) danced on brown's loamy grave, claiming, in their Car and Color Safety dispatch of 2004 that, "brown, black, and green cars [are] roughly twice as likely as white cars to be involved in crashes resulting in serious injury."

But, like every cinematic hero, the very moment of brown's alleged eradication presaged its incipient resurrection. According to paint giant PPG's Global Color Manager, Jane Harrington, brown's latest uptick is based in its ability to convey stability and comfort, as well as the kind of authenticity that consumers— especially luxury consumers — seek. "Think of the experience of good coffee, good chocolate, great pieces of wood," Harrington told us, referencing the entire field of upscale umbric goods. "You're seeing it across the crafts industry: more genuine materials, something that has longevity. The handmade quality people are looking for in luxury."

High end car makers like Mercedes, BMW, Mini, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley have all begun investigating what brown can do for them, with each marque offering at least two — and in the case of Bentley, a full half-dozen — earthy shades on their contemporary offerings. But we're also starting to see brown trickle down into the lower ends of the automotive marketplace. Ford now offers its Taurus sedan and Escape SUV in Kodiak Brown, as well as proffering a caramelly Golden Bronze dip on its best-selling F-150. And Toyota, though famous for producing cars that are both literally and figuratively beige, has also began to polish the mahogany, offering a quartet of browns on models like the Venza, Avalaon, RAV-4, and Tacoma (though, ironically, you cannot purchase a Sienna in brown.)

But brown's delightfully filthy insurgency isn't based solely on its connection to the composted topsoil used to grow your heirloom radishesm or the Kopi Luwak coffee beans pooped out by a Sumatran civet cat and roasted for your artisanal espresso. Nor is it merely surfing the aspirational wave a few coats may bring to the mass-market. It's also fueled by a deep-seated fondness for the past.


Or, at least that's what Alex Nuñez thinks. As Senior Automotive Editor at Consumer Search, and Weekend Editor at Autoblog, he is an industry expert. But it's his role as founder of Facebook's Brown Car Appreciation Society — which now includes nearly 600 members, mainly automotive writers, analysts, and pundits — that catalyzed our interview. "I think it's a nostalgia thing for guys our age. I'm 40, and we grew up at a time when you had all these brown cars in active use," Nuñez said. "Maybe it's that a lot of people who are in decision-making positions in the car industry are of that age, and this stuff is sort of subliminally ingrained as a feel good thing — these browns and earth tone colors."

Experts like Jane Harrington and Sandy McGill are hard at work tracking the next big incipient color trend — bronzes, with their patinaed implication of history and refinement; aluminum flakes that make metallic paints more silky; even digital OLEDs that can display anything, like an automotive iPad. But when we asked Nuñez if there were other color trends he was stalking, he didn't hesitate. "Not really." He is interested only in seeing brown deepen its fecund reign. "I'm disappointed that you can't order a Mustang Boss 302 in brown, or a brown Camaro. So there's still opportunity for expansion."

source

U.S. Army names three finalists to replace the Humvee in $5 billion bake-off

 

In the lingo of the U.S. Army, the next-generation of battle trucks will be known as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. To everyone else, it's known as the replacement for the Humvee -- and one of the few multibillion-dollar U.S. defense contracts still up for grabs. On Wednesday, the Army narrowed its list of potential Humvee successors to three. Here's a look at what the 21st-century jeep will look like.

The winners -- AM General, builder of the current Humvee; Lockheed Martin and Oshkosh Corp. -- beat out three other teams from Navistar, General Dynamics and BAE Systems. The three top entrants won contracts worth about $60 million each to build a small fleet of demonstration models that will be tested by the Army. Whichever team prevails will win a contract to build 20,000 vehicles for the U.S. Army and another 5,000 for the Marines at an estimated cost of $5 billion; the eventual deal could be worth far more depending on options and whether other countries buy the same vehicle -- a rare opportunity in a era where the Defense Department faces up to $1 trillion in budget cuts.

Compared to the current Humvee, the new designs offer far more interior space; compared to the original World War II-era Jeep, they're tanks with wheels that can travel farther and faster over rough terrain and rivers. While required to be less expensive per vehicle, all were designed to withstand blasts from mines and roadside bombs, a leading killer of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

The Lockheed Martin JLTV and the Oshkosh L-ATV

AM General's BRV-O entry sports a 3,500-lb. payload, self-leveling suspension and a 3.2-liter, 300-hp turbocharged six-cylinder diesel meant to be far more fuel-efficient than the V-8s used in the Humvee. Lockheed Martin says its JLTV has been designed to minimize weight -- allowing it to be hauled by helicopter -- while avoiding high-cost materials like titanium. And the Oshkosh L-ATV offers a suspension designed to give its wheels 20 inches of vertical movement over inhospitable terrain.

The companies will deliver their testing units to the Army over the next year; the Army will take two more years to test before picking a winner sometime in 2015. Here's hoping by then there will be less demand for hauling Americans into harm's way.

source

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S brings all wheel drive to the party

 

As autumn follows summer and traffic crashes follow starlets, so too must come the inevitable variations of a new Porsche 911, which wil soon grow to include the all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 Carrera 4, in coupe, convertible and uprated S flavors, all lighter, faster and likely more expensive than their predecessors. Progress always carries a price tag.

Adding four-wheel power to the regular 911 -- just named Motor Trend's "Best Driver's Car" and rightly acclaimed as a world-beating sports car -- may seem like overcomplicating to add heaviness, but the new edition of the 911 Carrera 4 is up to 143 lbs. lighter than previous models, thanks to Porsche's battle of the bulge. The regular versions get 350 hp engines and can crack 62 mph in 4.5 seconds (4.7 seconds for those topless versions); the S models add an extra 50 hp and shave 0.2 seconds off the run to 62 mph.

Yes, this is the only passenger car in the world with a seven-speed manual transmission, a floorboard shrine to the century where people picked their own gears. Yet it's also the first Porsche 911 where the presence of a stick shift raises the question of how seriously the car will be driven; the PDK dual-clutch automatic outperforms it in every aspect, from fuel economy to track speed. With a light foot, the all-wheel-drive models can broach 30 mpg. For the first time, the 911 Carrera S will also tell you when its powering the front wheels,

 

Set to debut in the metal at the Paris Motor Show next month, the new 911s will likely account for a third of total model sales, and set the stage for the parade of models to come: a turbo 911 Carrera S, a track-flavored GTS variety, and perhaps even a hybrid. U.S. prices haven't been announced yet, but if you don't have at least $100,000 to spend on a new car, the Porsche dealer will gladly show you the Boxster -- or a selection of branded baseball caps.

source

Best summer clearance deals on new cars

If you’ve been waiting to buy a new car, you’d better get moving. The end of summer is usually one of the best times of the year to buy because it marks the end of the model year, and the beginning of the next one.

Dealers want to make room on their lots for 2013 models, so they’re eager to clear out their 2012s, even if very little has changed from one year to the next. For savvy consumers, there are some generous rebates, finance rates and lease deals available. And these aren’t just on a bunch of leftovers. In many cases, the clearance sales are on some of the manufacturers’ best-selling models and newly redesigned vehicles.

“With a little digging, you should be able to find the color, trim level and features you want,” said Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, an automotive research site for consumers.

Gutierrez’s advice is to do your research online, then email local dealers and tell them what you’re willing to pay. “Try to get the dealerships to bid for your business,” he said. If you do, you’re likely to get a great deal.
KBB.com dug through the myriad offers in popular categories to come up with the best purchase and lease deals available on well-equipped small and mid-sized cars and crossovers. Most deals expire Sept. 4.


 

Hyundai Accent

The Hyundai Accent GLS, with a sticker price of $13,320, is available for as little as $232 a month, with 3.9% financing.

 

Toyota Camry

You can get a Toyota Camry LE (MSRP: $23,360) for $334 a month for five years, with 0% financing and $1,500 cash back.


 

Fiat 500

The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $16,200, but Fiat is offering 0% financing plus a $500 rebate, which means you can get this cute subcompact for about $248 a month.


 

Mazda3
This sporty compact sedan has an MSRP of $17,640, but is available with 0% financing, so you can own it for $269 a month.

Or If Leasing Is More Your Style

KBB found a lot of attractive lease deals available at the end of the 2012 model year as dealers take advantage of low interest rates and high used car values. There are some incredible offers right now.


 

Chevrolet Malibu

There's a new Malibu for 2013, but while the 2012 models are still around, you can lease a Malibu LS for $179 per month for two years, with $1,939 down.

 

Subaru Impreza

Like all Subarus, the Impreza features all-wheel drive. Redesigned for 2012, it is available for $169 for 42 months, with $1,969 down.

 

Ford Focus

For a little more, you can lease a larger Ford Focus for $159 for two years, with $2,378 down.


 

Kia Forte

Kia is offering a three-year lease deal on the Forte LX for $159 per month, with $1,999 down.


 
Ford Fusion

A redesigned Fusion is on the way later this year, but you can get a two-year lease on the 2012 model for $159 per month, with $2,778 down.

source