2012 Chicago Auto Show / Cadillac Owners Meet

[Jesda]

Part 1: 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5, Deep Dish Pizza
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... ish-pizza/

Part 2: Cadillac
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... -cadillac/

Part 3: Mercedes-Benz
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... edes-benz/

Part 4: Chevrolet, GMC, Buick
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... gmc-buick/

Part 5: Volvo, Lincoln, Audi, The Green Man!
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... green-man/

Part 6: Acura, Lexus, Land Rover
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... and-rover/

7: Jaguar, Hyundai, Maserati, Aston-Martin, McLaren
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... n-mclaren/

8: Ford, Honda, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... eep-dodge/

9: Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki, Kia
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... uzuki-kia/

10: Lamborghini, Classics, Retail Booths, Army, Scion, Volkswagen
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... olkswagen/

11: Greek Dinner, Portillo’s, Ikea, Conclusion
http://jesda.com/2012/02/19/2012-chicag ... onclusion/

We missed out on seeing Wes, Elias, and a few others that weekend.

[Mr1der]

I think GM making the Caprice as solely a cop car is the dumbest damn thing they could do.

it's gonna kill the sales as most departments go for a civilian version of the same car for unmarked use. This is gonna keep costs on maintenance and up keep cheaper as you won't have to keep parts for a couple different models around.

and an unmarked caprice would scream "look at me! I'm a government vehicle!" Just absolutely stupid.

now to read about Volvo! ooooo excitement tinges in my loins!

[Mr1der]

also, The LF-A has a V10.

before the haters commence hating.

it was an F1 inspired engine.

[Jesda]

The exotic market is pretty crowded. For just $30k more than an LFA, I'll take an SLS AMG roadster for $200k and a McLaren MP4-12C for $230k.

It's a technological showcase to hide the fact that Lexus sells nothing but four-wheeled doughnuts to fat chicks who listen to Coldplay.



From:
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/lfa-mod ... s-dud.html

"Undeniably, the LFA is a feat of engineering and design. Its high-tech carbon fiber and aluminum underpinnings lie near the outer boundary of technological feasibility even today, nearly two full years after its final production form was revealed. Its engine is a thing of sonorous beauty, inspired by the F1 program that went defunct in the same year the LFA was finalized, ripping 9,000 rpm out of its 4.8-liter displacement on the way to 552 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. The high-tech instrument panel looks and behaves like something from the near future.

But it took Lexus 10 full years to reach this point, and a budget that would likely amount to the full purchase price of the entire organizations of either Ferrari or Lamborghini. And for all its aspects of technical advancement, it lags noticeably in others: it uses a hydraulically-actuated single-clutch transmission, for example, rather than the advanced dual-clutches of most of the competition; its suspension is fixed, unlike the dynamic systems fitted to many other supercars, much less the pushrod suspension of the Aventador; its outright performance is matched or eclipsed by perhaps the lowest-tech of all supercars, the Corvette ZR1, a mere one-third the price of the LFA; its carbon fiber tub is matched or surpassed by the carbon fiber monocoque of the Aventador; on measures of power, torque, top speed, and acceleration, it's a full generation behind the top tier of supercars.

To fall short, then, despite this massive investment of time and money, seems to paint Lexus' technical ability in a different light. Despite applying what appears to be near-limitless resources for a decade, Lexus was unable to deliver a car to fully compete with, let alone dominate, the competition. Further, it was unable to do it at a profit on the individual cars sold, much less the project as a whole. In fact, viewed from this perspective, the whole LFA endeavor seems to fit more securely with the reality and, in the wake of the many recalls of the last two years, acknowledged self-image it not long ago promised to correct: that of a mired bureaucracy, hamstrung by its own internal inefficiencies, bent on leading the world but blinded by its own insularity."

[Mr1der]

oh I completely agree, I hate that car.

and the new GS is showcasing that ugly a** nose design now.

Toyota does nothing to my loins.

That said, the Kia GT looks kinda like a Chinese copy of a Transformer based on the Rapide.

[MinisterofDOOM]

The ILX looks like a Camry. Which I guess is better than looking like a giant wheeled tribal tattoo. Maybe.
The new grille is certainly an improvement.
Hopefully the ILX gets a real dashboard instead of the Civic's spaceage disaster. Either way, though, I can't imagine anyone wanting an ILX when the TSX exists.

I'm no more excited about the Evoque than I've ever been about any other FWD unibody crossover. My mind can't conjure up a set of circumstances that would ever cause me to want one. I'd rather have a Focus ST or Mazda 3 hatch. It's not even really THAT good looking.

I also am madly in love with the XJL. The nose...so amazing. The sculpting of the bodywork is top-class, and should stand as an example to pretty much everyone else building cars today of what they're doing wrong.

The MP4-12C is my favorite mid-engined supercar of all time. I love it. I'd rather have one than a 458.

New Fusion is dead sexy. I'm glad Ford didn't let me down this particular time. Doesn't make up for all those other times, though.

BTW, that's an Armada, not an old Pathfinder.
I agree with you on the "yet another crossover" point when it comes to Nissan. But Nissan has been missing a 7-seater, which is what the revised Pathfinder does. Don't see why we couldn't get a LWB Murano and keep selling BOF Pathfinders, though. But I won't complain too much as long as they leave Xterra's balls in place. Actually, I'll make Nissan a deal: Put the VK56 in the Xterra and I won't complain AT ALL.

"Skyactiv" is absolutely, without question, indisputably the SINGLE WORST MARKETING TERM IN HISTORY. The term has nothing to do with the tech it represents, and Mazda seems to go out of their way to not tell you what it means in their advertising. It's worse than "F," worse than TuRD, worse than anything else I can think of. Absolute nonsense trying to become a buzzword. I hope whoever invented it never gets another marketing job for the rest of their life.

I wish Suzuki would put the LY7 3.6 V6 in the Kizashi. It would make it the most appealing midsize sedan on the market right now...even more than the Fusion.

I am VERY MUCH looking forward to seeing what Kia will do with the Genesis sedan's platform. Kia's styling is great right now, and Kia's image means their RWD sedan could shoot for Infiniti rather than Lexus.

With the iQ, Toyota has demonstrated that they understand all the many, many, many things that are wrong with the Smart. Real luggage space, seating for four, a transmission that doesn't suck. I'm pretty vocal about my preference for RWD in cars, but the ultracompact segment is one place where FWD absolutely makes more sense.

The new Jetta and Passat are easily the best looking versions of those models ever. They aren't gorgeous, but for the first time ever in all of history, I don't find the Jetta repulsive to look at. And the Passat looks like someone ran an A6 through a Toyota filter. The Passat was never really ugly (except maybe the first gen, which was oddly proportioned) but the new one has DETAILS where its predecessors were just sort of a shape with headlights.
If VW can impress me with the Jetta of all cars, I have high hopes for the next-gen Phaeton.
Of course this is all just commentary on looks. Mechanically, I still wouldn't touch the Jetta with a ten foot pole. Especially not with effing torsion beam rear suspension.

I think GM making the Caprice as solely a cop car is the dumbest damn thing they could do.

Agreed. I keep hoping they'll wake up and realize how right you are.

[Razi]

"Kill me, it hurts to live."

Skyactiv is indeed some amazing technology, I wish they would've named it something nicer.
13:1 compression with 87 octane gas, getting 40mpg...
http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles ... ology.aspx

Amazing.

[Jesda]

Skyactiv reminds me of Cadillac's Northstar System, back when it was sold as a combination of CVRSS, 4T80E, Magnasteer, and DOHC 32V V8.

It's a name for a package of technologies, but how do you name something as obscure as a higher compression ratio, lighter components, better fuel economy, and low octane fuel?

Actually, I might have called it ZoomActive, but that sort of sounds like a foot cream.

[Razi]

And the new Pathfinder is a crossover?

[MinisterofDOOM]

Yep. FWD VQ and CVT.

[Razi]

This Kaiser-Darren is absolutely lovely!