Hot Cars

Airbag Legislation Blowout Could Drive Bugatti Out Of Business

New US airbag regulations could push supercar builder Bugatti to the brink. The manufacturer has reportedly filed a letter with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a bid for exemption, claiming “substantial economic hardship” under the new rules that come into play next month.

The company’s only model, the Veyron would reportedly need to be re-engineered, which could push up the car’s asking price by ten percent. This, on top of the car’s already stratospheric $1.28 million price tag. While that percentage may sound academic when dealing with such an expensive vehicle, Bugatti says it isn’t exactly flush with cash – it expects to lose millions over the next three years regardless of an exemption ruling, and reworking the Veyron to accommodate ‘smart’ airbags could cause Bugatti to go belly-up.

In the letter to NHTSA, Bugatti’s president, Thomas Bsher stated: “Ultimately, a denial of the petition could well put Bugatti out of business.” The company is seeking a two year exemption.

The Volkswagen subsidiary isn’t the only exotic automaker to make such a request to NHTSA… Maserati, Ferrari, Lotus and Spyker have also expressed similar hardships in writing.

2007 Saturn Aura

The 2007 Saturn Aura midsize sedan, a sister of the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6, takes the place vacated by the L-Series, last sold as a 2005 model. Saturn is getting a lot more love than it has in years, with a series of exclusives and firsts. The Aura will be the first General Motors car to employ a new six-speed automatic transmission developed with Ford for use with front- and all-wheel drive. Saturn says the Aura will also be GM’s first hybrid car.

The Aura launches with two trim levels, the XE and the XR. The hybrid will be a separate trim level, the Aura Green Line.

The Aura looks larger and more mature than its platform-sharing sister sedans. It bears the new Saturn styling direction first seen in the Sky roadster, and it looks good here. Upscale touches include LED taillights and body-colored door handles as standard equipment on the Aura XE. The XR trim level has chrome door handles, front fog lights and twin tailpipes, and it replaces the XE’s 17-inch steel wheels with 18-inch, 14-spoke aluminum rims. The auto show prototype wore Goodyear Eagle LS2 all-season tires.

Saturn is keeping up with the Joneses with two-tone interiors and improved materials quality. While the effort is admirable, something about the XR show car’s Morocco Brown leather didn’t jibe with the gray plastic, no matter how much the plastic may have improved. Leather of any color is an option on both trim levels.

A driver’s seat with a power height adjustment is standard. An eight-way power seat is optional on the XE and standard on the XR, as are heated front seats. There’s also an optional power passenger seat.

Like the models that share this platform, the XR includes remote engine start. An option that’s familiar from the G6, the panoramic moonroof uses several glass sections rather than one piece. When the moonroof is opened, these planks sit stacked above the roof.

While the new six-speed automatic makes its debut in the Aura, it’s only available in the higher XR trim level, where it’s mated to a 252-horsepower, 3.6-liter aluminum V-6. The Aura XE gets a 3.5-liter cast-iron V-6 that generates 224 hp. It drives a four-speed automatic. The six-speed has a clutchless-manual mode and steering-wheel-mounted shift levers; the four-speed does not.

The Aura Green Line will combine a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and battery pack. Saturn says it will come “later in the year.”

Saturn predicts gas mileage ratings of 20/30 mpg (city/highway) for the XE and 18/27 for the more powerful XR.

Perhaps the best news is that the Aura is equipped with conventional hydraulic steering. While GM’s electric steering brings some efficiency to the Malibu and versions of the G6, it draws mixed reviews for function and steering feel, even when compared to the electric steering execution in other cars. In my opinion, GM’s electric steering is one step forward and two back, so the old faithful is a plus in the Aura.

The Aura doesn’t skimp on safety provisions. It has dual-stage frontal air bags, front-seat-mounted side-impact airbags for torso protection and side curtain-type airbags that provide head protection.

Often overlooked are features like a steering wheel telescoping adjustment, which allows drivers of all sizes to distance themselves properly from the airbag. The Aura’s steering wheel both tilts and telescopes. Power adjustable pedals, which serve a similar purpose and improve driver comfort, are optional.

In terms of collision prevention, antilock brakes and traction control are standard. The XR trim level adds the StabiliTrak electronic stability system.

New York Police Test 150-mph Squad Car - Car News

The New York Police Department will test drive 10 new Dodge Chargers with V-8 engines to see if the performance sedans can handle the rigors of potholed streets and other anti-driving features of Gotham as well as they can handle 150-mph top speeds, The Associated Press reported.

The city police’s highway unit is also testing V-6 Chargers. If they pass inspection, they could replace hundreds of squad cars in the NYPD’s 3,000-vehicle patrol fleet, now dominated by Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas, the story said.

Given what we already know the performance potential of the Dodge Charger, it should be a done deal. In testing the Charger and platform-mate Magnum against other police package vehicles last October, the Michigan State Police ranked the Dodge brothers first (Hemi charger) and second (Hemi Magnum) in top-speed, acceleration, and vehicle dynamics testing; the braking test was swept by V-6 versions of the two cars.

Police package Chargers and Magnums with the base 250 hp/250 lb-ft 3.5-liter V-6 sell for $26,575 and $28,275, respectively; while cars equipped with the 340 hp, 390 lb-ft Hemi V-8 run $28,805 for a Charger or $30,505 for the Magnum.

2007 Lexus SC Pebble Beach Edition Hardtop Convertible

In celebration of its exclusive partnership with the Pebble Beach Company, Lexus will introduce the fourth annual Lexus SC Pebble Beach Edition retractable hardtop convertible at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Lexus Fashion Preview on Aug. 18.

Evoking a color combination reminiscent of history’s classic convertibles, the 2007 SC Pebble Beach Edition features a cream pearlescent exterior paint called Starfire Pearl, with a passionate Pimento Red leather interior and black birds-eye maple wood trim. With only 400 slated for production, this new Pebble Beach Edition SC will be in limited supply.

While sharing the unique styling cues and refined interior trim found in all Lexus models, the new Pebble Beach SC includes special-edition brushed-chrome badging on the front fenders and center console; a Pimento red Pebble Beach logo is embroidered on black carpeted floor mats to complement the interior. The hardtop convertible also features aggressive 18-inch G-Spider alloy wheels, a sleek rear spoiler, and either run-flat summer or run-flat all-season tires.

Since its debut as the first retractable hardtop in the premium luxury segment, one of the SC 430’s most notable features has been its ability to stow the roof within the confines of its trunk in a meager 25 seconds, while still maintaining enough room for luggage. This is accomplished without latches, catches, snaps or covers. When the top is up, it defies traditional convertible logic by remaining solid, secure and weatherproof.

Beneath its striking exterior, the rear-wheel-drive SC 430 is propelled by a 288-horsepower, DOHC, 4.3-liter V8 engine with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i), while still achieving 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway and ULEV II emissions certification. The powerful V8 is mated to a six-speed sequential-shift ECT-i transmission to attain a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 149 mph.

A number of new features are present on all 2007 SC 430s, including driver and front passenger knee airbags, which complement the standard dual front airbags and front-seat-mounted side airbags. The knee airbags are in addition to a new front-passenger occupant-detection sensor and a fully concealed uniblade front windshield wiper.

Daytime running lights, fog lamps and projector High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights are among the illumination features highlighted by Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS) headlights, which help better illuminate a turn as the driver steers into it. The SC 430 also includes an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, traction control (TRAC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC).

For a truly extraordinary auditory experience, Lexus has partnered with Mark Levinsonâ – designers of the ultimate in custom home audio systems – to create a sound system available exclusively in Lexus vehicles. The SC 430 contains a Mark Levinson® Premium Sound System with a seven-channel DSP 240-watt amplifier, nine strategically placed speakers and a six-disc in-dash CD changer.

An Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL) system automatically adjusts when the top is lowered to compensate for the change in acoustics and ambient noise levels and returns to its original levels when the top is raised. This lends to a sound quality that truly mimics a live performance. The sound system is integrated with a DVD-based Lexus Navigation System with voice command that allows hands-free use. The 2007 Lexus SC Pebble Beach Edition will be available for purchase in September 2006.

GM To Slow Large SUV Production

General Motors Co. seems to be reacting to news that sales of large SUVs, such as the Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon, are plummeting. GM CEO Rick Wagoner stated in an interview that the automaker will begin to slow production of its full-size SUVs for the rest of the year. While he would not elaborate on what this ’slowdown’ entailed, he mentioned that cutbacks would be made to “some” overtime at the company’s plants while revamping their vehicle lineup to include other models.

According to Ward’s, sales of large SUVs have dropped 22 percent between January through July of 2006.

2007 Ford Edge

Detroit-area consumers will be the first in America to test drive the 2007 Ford Edge, one of the most eagerly awaited new products from Ford Division, when the new CUV makes its “test- drive” debut at Ford Field, Thursday, Aug. 17.

The Ford Racing Drive Zone, with Edge as the feature vehicle, will be more than just a dream cruise through downtown Detroit for hundreds of consumers.

The parking lots will come alive with a host of new 2007 Ford products, including Edge, the all-wheel drive Fusion, and the Expedition. In addition, consumers will have a chance to test drive a Mustang and F-150, as well as win hot laps in the Shelby GT500, the most powerful Mustang ever built by Ford.

Test drives will take place in two sessions: 8 a.m.-3 p.m., and 4-8 p.m.

A Ford Racing Fan Appreciation Day event, featuring autographs and Q&As with Ford NASCAR stars Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray, will take place inside Ford Field from 4-8 p.m. All four drivers will be in town to take part in next weekend’s GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Tickets for Fan Appreciation Day are free, and are available at any Metro Detroit Ford Dealer. Consumers can register for the Ford Racing Drive Zone test-drive program online at http://www.fordracingevents.com/ .

“We’re thrilled to give Detroit-area consumers a first chance to test drive the 2007 Ford Edge,” said Burt Diamond, global motorsport marketing manager, Ford Racing Technology. “Ford Racing test-drive events have been instrumental in giving consumers a first chance to experience great products like Mustang, Fusion and Explorer the last two years.

“We’re pleased to carry on that tradition by introducing Ford Edge this year.”

2007 Ford Edge Highlights:

- Bold, American design: Ford Edge stands out in fast-growing CUV market
- Performance-plus: Edge’s new 3.5-liter V-6 delivers 265 horsepower and
is mated to a 6-speed automatic for performance and fuel efficiency
- Innovation: MP3-player jack, console laptop storage, panoramic Vista
Roof(TM) and advanced safety features, including Ford’s industry-
leading Advance Trac(R) with Roll Stability Control(R) (RSC)
- Safety: Standard safety features abound, including Ford’s industry-
leading Advance Trac(R) with Roll Stability Control(R) (RSC), seat-
mounted side air bags, Safety Canopy(TM) air curtain system and Ford’s
Personal Safety System.