Archive for the ‘First Look’ Category
BMW's flagship coupe returns after two-decade absence.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.15, 2018
This is the first BMW 8-Series since the original was abandoned in 1999.
It may be time for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the big news, trackside will turn to a new street model, BMW using the annual endurance race as backdrop to reveal the long-awaited rebirth of its flagship 8-Series model.
It’s been nearly two decades since the Bavarian automaker abandoned the original 8-Series, but we got word that it would make a comeback last year with the May 2017 debut of the Concept 8 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Italy’s Lake Como. Finally, we’re getting a look at the production version.
The Last Word!
Like the original, the new 8-Series opts for a coupe body, albeit one with a much more modern, streamlined design. The pop-up headlights, for one thing, are gone, replaced by slim LED lamps and the automaker’s new LaserLight technology. Indeed, as you’d expect of a BMW flagship, everywhere you look the new coupe is loaded up with the latest in technology, from its optional carbon fiber roof to its self-parking system.
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Tags: 2019 bmw m850i xdrive, 24 hours of le mans, auto news, bmw 8-series, bmw coupe, bmw le mans, bmw news, car news, german coupe, luxury coupe, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automobiles, BMW, Business, Concept Cars, First Look, Luxury Vehicles, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, Sports Cars, Technology, Trends | 2 Comments »
Volvo takes performance to new level with modified S60 sedan.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.13, 2018
The 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered gets unique Brembo brakes, among other modifications.
Few brands have done more to try to transform their image in recent years than Volvo, and the new S60 T8 Polestar Engineered sedan should continue shifting the Swedish marque in its new direction.
The latest version of the S60 not only puts more of a premium on sporty styling but backs it up with a 415-horsepower engine. But that’s no ordinary powerplant. No V-8s or turbo-sixes for this new Volvo. It’s a Polestar-modified version of the carmaker’s T8 plug-in hybrid, the top-performing version of its all-four-cylinder line-up.
First Look!
“The new S60 T8 Polestar Engineered is an electrified car that does what you want it to,” said Volvo’s Senior Vice President of R&D Henrik Green. “All components have been fine-tuned to work together, delivering a responsive and exciting driver’s car.”
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Tags: 2019 volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered, 2019 volvo s60, Polestar news, Volvo S60, auto news, battery car, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance ev, plug-in hybrid, thedetroitbureau, volvo news, volvo performance, volvo polestar
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, First Look, Jaguar, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Muscle Cars, Polestar, Porsche, Product Reveals, Safety, Sales, Technology, U.S./North America, Volvo | No Comments »
Handling and control matches power and speed.
by Michael Strong on Jun.11, 2018
The 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 offers plenty of power and improved handling.
The competition in the sports car segment is hot, and Ford is one of the better automakers about finding ways to constantly improve its entry, the Mustang, on a regular basis.
Whether it’s a full makeover or simply an upgrade of its special edition vehicles like the new Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 — and the upcoming GT500 — the automaker continually ensures its legion of loyal fans are sated while drawing new fans to keep sales up over the years.
Product News!
The new GT350 has a variety improvements to keep that tradition rolling along. (more…)
Tags: 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, Ford improves GT350, Ford upgrades Shelby GT350, Ford's new GT350, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, ford mustang, ford news, ford shelby, michael strong, new Mustang offering, new Shelby GT350, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, First Look, Ford, Markets, Muscle Cars, Reviews, Sales, Sports Cars, U.S./North America | No Comments »
A largely evolutionary update to BMW's flagship utility vehicle.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.05, 2018
The new BMW X5 continues the impressive mix of capability and luxury of its predecessors.
Few products have meant more to BMW, especially over the last couple decades, than the X5. The original Sport Activity Vehicle was a groundbreaking entry into what was then the just-emerging luxury market for utility vehicles.
Today, high-line utes have come to dominate traditional luxury sedans, coupes and sports car, bringing a flood of new entries – such as the all-new Audi Q8. BMW itself now has a range of SAVs, from the little X1 up, but it’s the original model that defines the brand as much as the classic 7-Series. So, BMW designers and engineers faced some serious pressure when they set to work on the fourth-generation X5.
Product News!
“The BMW X5 embodies the origins of the BMW X family and, in its fourth generation, sends out its most powerful message yet in terms of presence and modernity,” said BMW Group Design Director Adrian van Hooydonk, in a statement accompanying these images of the new X5. “It defines a new X design language – robust, clear and precise.” (more…)
Tags: 2019 BMW X5, BMW SAV, BMW utility vehicles, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, bmw news, fourth-generation X5, new BMW X5, new BMW ute, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, First Look, Luxury Vehicles, SUVs, Sales, Trends | Comments Off
Key FCA brands follow BMW, Ford, Nissan and VW out the door.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.04, 2018
This scene is not going to play out this fall at the Paris Motor Show.
It’s looking likely to be rather lonely at the Paris Motor Show this year with a rapidly growing list of major manufacturers announcing they will be no-shows next autumn at an event that has traditionally been a must for the industry.
Auto shows, in general, are coming under scrutiny as manufacturers begin weighing their costs and benefits, and start comparing them to marketing alternatives such as the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and even the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Auto Show News!
Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep will be holdouts at the 2018 Mondial de l’Automobile, which was set to begin on Oct. 2 with two days of press debuts, and then remain open to the public through Oct. 14. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will still show off its Maserati brand, as well as Ferrari. (more…)
Tags: FCA brands bail on Paris Motor Show, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, auto shows losing appeal with makers, automakers cutting auto shows, more auto brands cutting Paris, paris motor show, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advertising, Alfa Romeo, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Europe, Events, Executives, Fiat, First Look, Markets, Paris, Personalities, Sales, Sales | Comments Off
Morning presentation outlines plans for Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.01, 2018
The Ram TRX will be among the new models FCA will bring out over the coming five years.
(This story has been revised to update plans for Jeep’s pickup and a midsize pickup from Ram that, CEO Marchionne now says will come to the U.S. market.)
In a sweeping presentation designed to give analysts, investors, media and potential buyers a good look at its future, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executives are spending a day detailing their plans for the company and its various brands.
At the midway mark, as they break for lunch, they’ve already lifted the kimono far enough to show what’s coming for the Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands and, in a nutshell, it can be summed up as more products targeting lots more volume and much bigger margins.
Breaking News!
The new five-year plan will be the last crafted under the guidance of Sergio Marchionne, the 65-year-old executive who helped pull off the pairing of two struggling manufacturers to form Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. His third five-year plan, Marchionne stressed that “The true finish line is the one always yet to come.”
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Tags: FCA 5-year plan, FCA news, Maserati Alfieri, Sergio Marchionne, alfa romeo plan, alfa suv, auto news, car news, fca capital day, fiat chrysler 5-year plan, jeep pickup, jeep product plan, maserati plan, maserati suv, new Jeep, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, ram product plan, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Alfa Romeo, Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, China, Chrysler, Concept Cars, Diesel, Dodge, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Earnings, Environment, Europe, Executives, FCA, Ferrari, Financials, First Look, Fuel Economy, Funding, Hybrids, Infotainment, Investors, Jeep, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Maserati, Muscle Cars, NAFTA, Personalities, Pickups, Product Reveals, Ram, Ride-Sharing, SUVs, Safety, Safety, Sales, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, South America, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, V2V | 5 Comments »
Add $6,200 for reborn A-Spec.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.29, 2018
With the launch of the 2019 RDX, Acura brings back the A-Spec performance design package.
Acura was the first of the Japanese luxury brands but, in recent years, it has lagged behind rivals Lexus and Infiniti. Could the stars finally be coming together for Honda’s high-line marque, however?
While Acura’s passenger car models continue to struggle, the automaker has done far better with its SUV line-up, and it expects to gain even more ground with a complete makeover of the compact RDX. The timing likely couldn’t be better considering the U.S. luxury market’s accelerating shift from sedans and coupes to SUVs and CUVs. Add the fact that Acura is bringing back the A-Spec version of the RDX for 2019.
Product News!
The first new model to really deliver on the promises of Acura new Precision Concept design language, the 2019 model offers an array of new and updated features, from its new turbocharged 2.0-liter powerplant to a completely redesigned infotainment system dubbed AcuraLink with True Touch. But what may garner even more interest is the fact that the 2019 Acura RDX starts at the same price as the outgoing, 2018 model: $38,295, which includes $995 in delivery charges. (more…)
Tags: 2019 Acura rdx, 2019 acura rdx price, Acura RDX, acura news, acura rdx a-spec, acura rdx price, auto news, car news, compact japanese suv, compact suv, luxury suv, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Acura, Automakers, Automobiles, Concept Cars, First Drive, First Look, Honda, Infotainment, Markets, Reviews, SUVs, Safety, Safety, Sales, Technology, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America | 2 Comments »
Will “beat anything in its class on a track,” tweets Tesla’s Musk.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.21, 2018
Tesla CEO Musk claims the performance Model 3 will not only be faster, but handle better than the BMW M3.
Despite a painfully slow ramp-up of production, Tesla is planning to add a new high-performance version of its Model 3 sedan that CEO Elon Musk claims will be “quicker than a BMW,” and be able to “beat anything in its class on a track.”
In a series of tweets over the weekend, Musk fleshed out details about the all-wheel-drive electric vehicle, noting that it will launch from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, top out at an Autobahn-burning 155 mph, and still yield 310 miles per charge – at least when driven a bit less aggressively. But the yet-unnamed performance version of the Model 3 will also cost $78,000, or about twice as much as a base version of the electric sedan.
News Now!
That steep jump actually isn’t entirely out of line, at least when comparing to the likes of a BMW 3-Series sedan. The German sports sedan starts at $34,900, around the same figure as a Model 3 before factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit. The BMW M3 starts at $66,500, though appears to have less standard equipment than the Model 3 performance version. The Tesla includes AWD, for example, an otherwise $5,000 option.
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Tags: BMW 3-Series, auto news, bmw m3, bmw news, car news, ludicrous mode, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla bmw, tesla ludicrous mode, tesla model 3, tesla model 3 performance, tesla news, tesla performance model 3, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Executives, First Look, Muscle Cars, Personalities, Product Reveals, Sales, Super Cars, Technology, Tesla | 1 Comment »
"A new dimension of race-inspired dynamism."
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.11, 2018
The new DB11 AMR will become the fast model in Aston's current line-up - top speed 208 mph.
Aston Martin is ready to pump up its already serious DB11, taking the street-legal grand tourer and given it some serious track capabilities.
Long rumored, the 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Grand Tourer is making its official debut today – not entirely a surprise after some initial details accidentally leaked out over the last few days.
Product News!
The automaker boasts that the AMR edition not only replaces the V-12-powered DB11 as the flagship of the nameplate’s expanding range, but that it delivers “a new dimension of race-inspired dynamism and performance to the DB11 family.”
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Tags: 2019 aston martin db11 amr, Aston Martin DB11 AMR, Aston Martin db11, British automaker, British sports car, aston martin, aston martin news, auto news, car news, db11, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Aston Martin, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, First Look, Sports Cars | Comments Off
NAIAS still studying possible date change to revive flagging fortunes.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.11, 2018
Audi has traditionally used the NAIAS for major intros, like the Q8 Concept it debuted in 2017.
Already hit by key defections, the organizers of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit learned Thursday that Audi will also be a no-show in January 2019 – though the luxury arm of Volkswagen Group said it will “continue to evaluate” a return at a later date.
A once-regional event, the NAIAS became the most significant auto show in the U.S., and one of the world’s most widely watched, when it added the “International” designation in 1989. At its peak around the start of the new millennium, Detroit could count on virtually every manufacturer to participate, with some years seeing more than 70 new cars, trucks, concepts and crossovers debut.
Breaking News!
As the industry plunged into recession, things began to change. Some manufacturers, such as Nissan, pulled out temporarily, but others decided to abandon the Motor City event entirely. That included some of the most exclusive marques, like Ferrari, as well as mainstream and luxury brands like Mazda, which was a hold out this past January. Volvo had no corporate presence, though its local dealers did roll a few vehicles into Detroit’s Cobo Hall convention center. Now, it seems, the exodus is turning into a rout. Audi follows Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche in planning to stay home next January. (more…)
Tags: 2019 naias, Audi NAIAS, Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes NAIAS, NAIAS, audi detroit auto show, audi news, audi pulling out of naias, auto news, auto show trouble, auto shows, bmw detroit auto show, frankfurt bmw, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Audi, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, CES, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, Ferrari, First Look, Frankfurt, Jaguar, Land Rover, Los Angeles, Markets, Mercedes, New York, Nissan, Paris, Rolls Royce, Sales, Technology, Toyota, Trends, U.S./North America, Volvo | 1 Comment »
