Posts Tagged ‘German luxury cars’
Domestic luxury brands gain little traction in 2012.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.04, 2013
Cadillac is hoping to see the ATS win North American Car of the Year honors, which could put its sales push back into gear.
The long-promised revival of Detroit’s two main luxury brands failed to materialize in 2012 despite the launch of some major new products that generated largely positive reviews.
Both Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln and General Motors’ Cadillac wound up losing market share last year – 4.1% and 1.7% respectively — despite the makers’ anticipated improvements . Only the near-luxury GM brand Buick posted a modest, 1.6% gain for the year, though company officials insist the real test will come in 2013.
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That’s quite likely the case, says David Sullivan, of AutoPacific, Inc. “Looking back at 2012, I would say they were semi-disappointing and if we didn’t know there was promising new product in the pipeline it would be pretty bleak.”
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Tags: BMW sales, Cadillac, Cadillac ATS, German luxury cars, Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln sales, auto news, bmw luxury sales leader, caddy sales, cadillac sales, car news, detroit luxury cars, domestic luxury cars, lincoln, lincoln mkc, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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That’s SL, as in “sportier” and “lighter.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.09, 2012
Mercedes has made the SL both sportier and lighter for 2013, it claims.
It’s been nearly six decades since Mercedes-Benz introduced the then-revolutionary SL, those letters short for “sport” and light.” Like all too many other products introduced in the decades since, the SL roadster has gotten bigger and bulkier. But the all-new model making its debut at Detroit’s Cobo Center this week takes the Mercedes 2-seater back to its roots.
Think of the all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL as “sportier” and “lighter.”
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To get there, the maker has completely redesigned the SL, reverting to a modern take on the original car’s aluminum tube frame that shaves as much as 300 pounds off the 2013 Benz, depending on the specific model.
“Decreased weight means increased agility,” said Mercedes brand boss Dieter Zetsche at a sneak preview the night before the official opening of the 2012 North American International Auto Show. “Saving weight,” he added, “means saving gallons.”
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Tags: 2013 mercedes-benz sl, Detroit Auto Show, German luxury cars, auto news, car news, mercedes detroit, mercedes news, mercedes reviews, mercedes roadster, mercedes sl, mercedes-benz news, north american international auto show, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, sports cars, thedetroitbureau
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Sky’s the limit on a cold January morning as Porsche returns to Detroit Auto Show.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.05, 2012
The 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet will reach market in time for the spring thaw.
With the temperatures hovering in the low 20s one doesn’t often think of convertibles this time of year in Detroit. But Porsche is hoping to get a more balmy reception when it pulls the covers – and the top – off its new 911 sports car next week as it makes a return to the Detroit Auto Show.
After a long absence, the maker returned to the largest of the U.S. car shows – from a news standpoint, anyway – last year with the 918 Concept and it is hoping to make big news again this year with the 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the latest in what will be a string of variants to share the new sports car platform TheDetroitBureau.com reviewed back in November. (Click Here for that first drive.)
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“Detroit was deliberately chosen for the world premiere of the new 911 Cabrio because the USA is far and away our largest 911 Cabrio market,” said Bernhard Maier, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Sales and Marketing.
It’s also Porsche’s largest market overall.
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Tags: 2012 porsche 911, Detroit Auto Show, German luxury cars, Porsche 911, auto news, car news, german sports cars, luxury convertibles, north american international auto show, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, porsche 911 cabriolet, porsche 911 carrera, porsche 911 review, porsche detroit, porsche news, thedetroitbureau
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Getting ready to take on the new BMW 3-Series.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Oct.27, 2011
Audi makes some modest but notable changes to the A4 and S4 for the upcoming model-year.
It’s never easy to go up against a powerhouse like the BMW 3-Series, and that’s especially true when an all-new version of the Bavarian juggernaut is getting ready to roll into showrooms. So, it’s understandable why Audi is also getting ready for a mid-cycle update of its own compact luxury line, with updated A4 and S4 models slated for 2012.
Don’t expect anything radical. Audi isn’t tearing up the blueprints and starting over. The basic dimensions remain largely the same. The new model is stretched by a few millimeters – unlike the 3-Series, which grows substantially for 2012. But Audi aficionados will recognize there are some significant changes, nonetheless.
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The most distinctive, however, will be found under the hood, with a range of new or modified engines for the global line-up expected to deliver both better mileage and improved horsepower and torque. New Stop/Start technology is one way Audi has been able to pull off that seemingly incongruous improvement.
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Tags: 2012 audi a4, Audi A4 review, Audi S4, BMW 3-Series, German luxury cars, audi a4, audi a4 allroad, audi allroad, audi news, audi reviews, auto news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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by Henny Hemmes on Jun.06, 2011
The new 2012 BMW 1-Series line-up will debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.
It’s a small world, after all. At least when it comes to cars. And even in the luxury market motorists have been steadily downsizing, as BMW discovered with the launch of the original 1-Series.
Earlier this spring, a new version of the Bavarian maker’s smallest model was spotted in the midst of testing on the Nürburgring. No new model can ever drive unnoticed on the famous race track, where the spy photographers seem to dig in at every corner, so when a maker puts something out there, it is likely meant to be seen.
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Word quickly got out that an all-new version of the BMW 1-Series was set to make its formal debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. But with pics already leaking out on the Internet, BMW decided to make something official available.
Fans of the small BMW have had a seven-year wait for the second-generation subcompact. Why it took so long to come up with the 2012 BMW 1-Series the Bavarians aren’t saying, but it’s clear they wanted to address some of the criticism of the original – including weight and room.
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Tags: 2012 bmw 1, BMW reviews, Frankfurt Motor Show, German luxury cars, auto news, bmw 1-series, bmw 128, bmw 1m, bmw news, bmw small car, car news, german small cars, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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A replacement? Stay tuned, Bavarians hint.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.23, 2011
BMW has introduced the smallest and least expensive M-Series model, but it won't be around long.
If you’re hoping to get your hands on the 335-horsepower version of BMW’s pint-sized 1 Series, better put your $46,135 down fast. The maker plans to only have the newest offering from its vaunted M division on sale in U.S. showrooms for a matter of months.
In decades past, it wasn’t uncommon for BMW M – or rival Mercedes-Benz, with its AMG division – to offer a limited number of vehicles and make them available for only short runs. But more recently, the makers have discovered there’s strong enough demand – along with the huge profits – to justify making models like the BMW M3 or Mercedes CLS63 AMG a regular part of the line-up.
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But due to a variety of reasons, the 1M, as BMW is calling it, “will be a one-year car,” Matt Russell, the U.S. M brand manager, told TheDetroitBureau.com.
Designated a 2011 model, the 1M is just rolling into showrooms, but it will go out of production no later than December of this year.
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Tags: BMW M, German luxury cars, auto news, bmw 1m, bmw m1, bmw m3, bmw news, car news, german performance cars, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, performance luxury cars, thedetroitbureau
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The “ultimate” non-turbo 911?
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Apr.28, 2011
The new GT3 RS 4.0 is the most powerful naturally-aspirated 911 Porsche has ever produced.
Faster than most folks can get “2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0” out of their mouths, the Schwabian automaker’s “ultimate” normally-aspirated sports car will hit 60 – on the way to a top speed of 193 mph.
The appropriately named GT3 packs a new 4.0-liter flat-six in its rear engine compartment, the powerplant derived from 911 GT3 RSR race car, and borrowing such niceties as the forged pistons and titanium connecting rods. A six-speed manual is the only gearbox offered.
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The new Porsche also borrows a variety of race-derived parts designed to shed weight, such as carbon fiber seat frames, front fenders and luggage compartment lid. Even the carpeting is “weight-optimized,” Porsche proclaims, trimming the 911 GT3 4.0’s total mass to just 2,998 pounds – with a full fuel tank.
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Tags: 2011 porsche 911 gt3 rs 4.0, German luxury cars, Porsche 911, auto news, car news, german sports cars, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, porsche 911 reviews, porsche news, porsche pics, porsche reviews, thedetroitbureau
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2-door reveal set for Geneva Motor Show.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.14, 2011
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe will debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
Though the official debut is still weeks away, Mercedes-Benz has lifted the covers on an all-new entry to the line-up, the C-Class Coupe set for a formal introduction at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
The 2-door that will be unveiled at Geneva’s PALExpo convention center will be a wee bit smaller than the old CLK that was dropped from the German line-up a few years back.
But for the lack of the rear doors and a lower, sloping roofline, the new coupe will bear a distinct familial resemblance to the updated C-Class sedan that made a brief debut during a Mercedes media party prior to the recent Detroit Auto Show. Basic dimensions will be the same, including wheelbase and overall length.
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Initially, two versions will be made available, including the C250, with a 1.8-liter 201-horsepower turbocharged inline-four, and the C350, with a 3.5-liter V6 making 304 horsepower. Both will put power to the rear wheels through the Mercedes 7-speed automatic gearbox. Expect to see some diesel power follow, as well as the high-performance C-Coupe AMG model that is on the schedule for a preview at the upcoming New York Auto Show.
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Tags: 2012 mercedes-benz c-class coupe, Geneva Motor Show, German luxury cars, auto news, c-class, c-class coupe, car news, german coupes, mercedes coupe, mercedes-benz news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.09, 2010
Finally, an undisguised version of the 2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe, once codenamed Pyrat.
Here it comes. Finally. The 2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe is arguably the industry’s worst-kept secret. But now we can finally release the details and reveal the first pictures of the smallest M-performance model ever from the Bavarians.
It’s hard to recall when the first words began to leak out of Munich suggesting the 1 M was under development – BMW opting for the awkward nomenclature to avoid any confusion with the legendary M1 supercar, designed by Giugiaro and developed by Lamborghini, whose very name has been retired.
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Early in the year a disguised 1-Series – then known by the codename Pyrat — with distinctive trim suggesting it was not your ordinary coupe was spotted exercising at Germany’s Nürburgring. Then, in August, during the 25th anniversary celebration of the M3, at the Ascari Race resort, in Spain, an even less camouflaged version was rolled out and we were given our first ride.
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Tags: 2012 bmw 1-series m coupe, BMW M, BMW reviews, German luxury cars, Henny Hemmes, auto news, auto reviews, bmw 1m, bmw m1, bmw m3, bmw news, bmw pics, car news, car reviews, european luxury cars, performance cars, thedetroitbureau
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by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.12, 2009
Gambling with success? Actually, Mercedes is holding a winning hand with the completely remade 2010 E-Class sedan.
There’s no such thing as a sure bet, not unless you’re the one holding all the cards. Then again, maybe that describes the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the sedan that has long dominated the midsize luxury market.
Early this year, the German maker pulled the wraps off an all-new version of the E-Class, and also dropped the surprise news that it was rechristening its 2-door CLK the E-Class Coupe. The new look received strongly favorable reviews, but when it comes to luxury cars, beauty is a lot more than skin deep, so we jumped at the chance to take both the 2- and 4-door versions of Mercedes’ midsize mainstay out for a couple days of testing. We took delivery at the Encore, the newest and, arguably the hottest, resort casino in Las Vegas, a perfect venue considering Mercedes has placed an even bigger bet on its new offering than the highest rollers the strip normally sees.
The new E-Class is more than just what automotive folks like to call a “simple refresh.” It’s a top-to-bottom remake that, in many ways represents the best Mercedes can muster, even more than the flagship S-Class. And it will take that sort of offering to not only maintain momentum in today’s abysmal automotive market – but also to fend off a growing list of competitors that includes the usual suspects, BMW, Lexus and Audi, as well as the increasingly aggressive Infiniti and the surprising Hyundai Genesis. (more…)
Tags: German luxury cars, Mercedes E-Class review, Mercedes E350 review, Mercedes E550 review, german autos. paul a. eisenstein, german cars, luxury car reviews, luxury cars, luxury sedans, mercedes E-Class coupe, mercedes e350, mercedes e550, mercedes-Benz, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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