1. The Continental: Corporate Collaborations, Designer
Yachts, and the Best Off-Roader
The Continental: Corporate Collaborations, Designer Yachts, and the Best Off-Roader
Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and
quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners,
but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
BMW and Toyota have announced the next steps in their cooperation: Following an exploratory
phase, they have come to binding agreements to work on a fuel-cell system, high-energy
lithium-air batteries, light-weight technology, and a mid-size sports car. The feasibility study on
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2. that sports car will be finished by the end of 2013, and it could lead to a common platform. The
project is connected to the light-weight technology effort, which will contribute know-how to the
sports car’s development, if it comes to fruition.
We already know about BMW’s contract to supply Toyota with 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter
four-cylinder diesel engines. BMW can be congratulated on finding a partner that actually
means business; previously announced contracts with Saab and Carbon Motors have led to
nothing. Toyota is obviously as serious about becoming a maker of sporty cars as BMW is
about becoming “green.” Toyota’s new strategy is a welcome change seeing as how memories
of the Celica, MR2 and Supra have been buried under an onslaught of hybrids and
J.D.Power–inspired family barges.
Meanwhile, Nissan is underscoring its sporty credentials with the launch of its NISMO sub-brand
in Europe. The first two dedicated models will be the Juke NISMO and the 370Z NISMO. The
Juke receives a body kit, red mirror caps, 225/45 rubber on 18-inch rims, and a mild power and
torque boost that raise output from 188 horsepower to 197 and from 177 lb-ft of torque to 184.
The cheerful car on steroids comes with either a six-speed manual and front-wheel drive, or a
CVT automatic and all-wheel drive. Neither of these two combinations, I regret to say, is
particularly pleasant. A more-powerful version with around 220 horsepower is in the works. No
details on the 370Z Nismo are available yet.
Fiat and Mazda have finally signed the contract to produce an Alfa Romeo roadster at the
Mazda plant in Hiroshima, Japan, beginning in 2015. The rear-wheel-drive two-seater will be a
sister model to the Mazda MX-5 Miata, and it will fill a gaping void in Alfa Romeo’s lineup. The
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3. brand last offered a Spider in 2010. The Alfa Romeo and Mazda versions will have unique
engine portfolios, according to the companies’ joint statement.
Meanwhile, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne promises that the mid-engine Alfa Romeo 4C
sports car will hit North American turf before the end of the year. I hear it will be an expensive
car, rivaling the Porsche Cayman and Boxster, and that its styling language should not be seen
as indicative of future Alfa Romeo models. The face of the 4C, like those of the MiTo and the
Giulietta, is still inspired by the 8C Competizione. Other future Alfa Romeo models will be more
angular and contemporary in style.
Some German Cars
Opel has announced pricing for the Astra-based Cascada convertible, which begins at €21,802,
before taxes, or $ 29,350 at current exchange rates. At this price, it comes with a 118-hp
gasoline engine, fabric seats, and hubcaps. However, Opel is trying to position the droptop as
an Audi A5 cabriolet and Mercedes-Benz E-class competitor, the latter of which costs twice as
much as the Cascada. But the Cascada’s true competition is the Peugeot 308 CC, Renault
Mégane coupe-cabriolet, and the slightly more compact Volkswagen Golf cabriolet. The
Cascada is priced right and should do well in this less-expensive yet competitive field.
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4. Volkswagen shows that you don’t have to take your heritage all that seriously by displaying a
T3—known in the U.S. as the Vanagon—fully clad in knitware. A couple of VW commercial vehicle
employees spotted a classic bus thus treated while vacationing in Thailand and decided to
replicate the application. It turns out that the employees’ female spouses were required to finish
the ambitious project. About 2500 hours went into the 100-pound-plus knit sweater for the
unique T3, which can be admired in the Volkswagen Museum until the end of March.
The German magazine Auto Bild reports that Audi will launch a Q6 crossover, positioned just
above the Q5. Following the recipe of the rakish BMW X6, it will be distinguished by a steeply
raked windshield and a low, fastback roofline. The car will be built in Mexico, according to Auto
Bild.
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5. Former Renault chief designer Patrick Le Quément, one of my personal design heroes, not only
is creating a new design school, but also works as a successful designer of upper-crust yachts.
Two of his designs, the Outremer 5X catamaran (pictured above) and the trawler Garcia GT54,
were just named European Boats of the Year at the Düsseldorf boat show. Congratulations!
Instrumented Test: 2013 Mercedes-Benz G550
First Drive: Nissan Juke-R
Long-Term Test: 2011 Nissan Juke SL
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6. Highway Tested: Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen
Have I ever mentioned I am in love with the Mercedes-Benz G-wagen? It has been a couple of
years since I last drove a one, but I recently had the pleasure of spending a week in a G550.
Since then, the G received an interior makeover for 2013, which works well. I was surprised at
the standard, 5.5-liter V-8?s aggressive tuning and growl—this Benz sounds like an AMG, and it
takes off with a vengeance. Although the cabin is lavishly equipped, the G-Wagen does not and
cannot hide its roots as a military vehicle engineered in the 1970s.
But it is relatively quiet, comfortable, effortless, and fast. It is a miracle, considering what the
original G-wagen handled like (it was bad), and Mercedes has not exactly invested vast funds
into updating the vehicle. There are a bunch of dashboard components from the corporate parts
bin, and the exterior trim is off-the-shelf fare. But all that is part of the G’s charm. I wonder if
Land Rover could pull off a similar job with the Defender, instead of reinventing it at the risk of
turning it into a Toyota-FJ-Cruiser-like caricature.
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