Future Cars: Luxury Hybrids and Electrics

Many of you may be wondering what to expect with hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years? The market for hybrid and electric vehicles is expected to boom over the coming 12-24 months, with options ranging from hybrid vehicles, to plug-in hybrid vehicles to pure electric vehicles and range-extender electric. Could you be driving an electric or hybrid in the next few years?

Here’s what we can look forward to seeing in the coming years:

Chevrolet Volt:
Powertrain: Plug-in electric with range-extender fuel engine
What makes it great: GM’s ultra high-mile Chevy Volt plug-in electric vehicle is said to get 230 mpg. If GM pulls this off they could reclaim the green from Toyota.

Honda CR-Z hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Honda’s well of fun little sports cars runs deep and the CR-Z clearly brings up memories of the light and fantastic (and fuel-sippin’) CRX hatchback. Add a hybrid system and they might have found a new formula for the hatchback crowd.

Audi Q5 hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Audi hasn’t been quick to debut hybrid systems in their vehicles, choosing mostly to stick to diesels. This Q5 could be their way of testing the water by putting their toe in the water.

BMW 7-series hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: BMW’s new 7-series hybrid should differentiate itself by providing extra oomph (442 lb-ft of torque will be on tap).

Buick “Baby Enclave”:
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid
Why It’s Great: If Buick is truly going to become a great American brand again, they need to start innovating. This system should use the same running gear as the 230-mpg Chevy Volt, making this new Buick an exciting one to watch.

Fisker Karma:
Powertrain: Plug-in electric with range-extender fuel engine
Why It’s Great: Arguably one of the most beautiful new designs on the road, the Karma should do for the nascent Fisker brand what all great cars do: garner maximum attention. That the Karma will be one of the first plug-in electric vehicles available on the market, it should have about a year on its own before the major manufacturers start competing with it head on.

Honda Fit hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: The Fit could become one of the cheapest hybrids on the market today, creating a wave of new hybrid owners. Right now the cheapest hybrid on the market is the Fit’s older brother, the Honda Insight, but at about $20,000 that is still out of reach for many buyers.

Mercedes-Benz ML450 hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: With a 3.5-liter V6 a trusy battery pack, the ML450 hybrid can go 1.8 miles or up to 34 mph on battery power alone (take that, 2010 Prius).

Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid :
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: At 29 miles per gallon combined, the S400 can boast about more than just its Mercedes-Benz badge on its hood.

Nissan 370Z hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: A hybrid sports car? Isn’t this blasphemy? Well, in some circles it just might be; in others, not so much. The idea of a 370Z hybrid is something along the lines of pure speculation at this point, but we do know Nissan and Infiniti are working on their own hybrid system and internal plans continue to look into its use on the famous Z sports car.

Nissan Leaf:
Powertrain: Plug-in electric
Why It’s Great: Nissan claims the Leaf will have a fuel equivalent of 367 miles per gallon. That’s not a typo. For now, though, the Leaf is still just a prototype. Expect it to come to market in a year or so in limited markets, mostly in the west.

Porsche Cayenne hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Porsche has big plans for its big truck and it’s no secret that many of its buyers have interest in hybrid powertrains (and, no doubt, the money to pay for such a luxury). Expect the Cayenne hybrid to carry a premium price tag and something near 25 MPG.

Porsche Panamera hybrid:
Powertrain: Hybrid
Why It’s Great: Porsche is now making a sedan called the Panamera.  Since luxury sedan buyers now expect hybrids as part of an options package, Porsche will feature a parallel hybrid system (meaning it can drive under electric power, gasoline power, or both), meaning it will travel on electric power up to 70 miles per hour.

Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid :
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid
Why It’s Great: A Prius is already a hybrid that gets 50 mpg, but Toyota is readying a plug-in hybrid version of the car, making it even more efficient. Toyota says that plug-in hybrid versions of its Prius hatchback are veraging 65 miles per gallon in real-world testing.

Volvo V70 hybrid:
Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid
Why It’s Great:  The V70 has long been a Volvo classic (think of old 240 Volvo station wagons from the 80s and 90s) and the company’s first hybrid system makes sense to launch here first.

* Reference Autochannel.com

Porsche Adds New Panamera Models to Already Successful Collection

 Announced Today: The addition of two new Panamera Models to Porsches’ collection.
Porsche just released it just three months after successfully launching the first four-door Gran Turismo in three V8 designs: the Panamera S, the Panamera 4S and the Panamera Turbo. The Panamera and Panamera 4, the model line’s new versions, can be found in most Porsche Dealerships and of course here at L.A. Car Connection by June 2010. Both feature a brand-new 3.6-liter V6 with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) developing 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The Panamera spreads its power to the road by its newly designed rear wheels, while the Panamera 4 comes standard with active all-wheel drive. Both exquisitely built. The Panamera and Panamera 4 are examples of the Porsche Intelligent Performance development strategy. With more and more people going “green” these models are equipped with the PDK gearbox and the Auto Start Stop function. Porsche anticipates these new models to be significantly more fuel efficient than their normally aspirated V8 siblings. Like the proven V8 models, both the Panamera and the Panamera 4, as genuine Gran Turismos, combine a sporting character with the high standard of comfort and everyday driving traits. This provides a wide range of suspension qualities and features, with a high level of motoring comfort on the one hand and extremely sporting driving dynamics on the other. Both models will be making their world debut at the Beijing Motor Show on April 23, 2010. The Panamera and Panamera 4 MSRPs are $74,400 and $78,900, respectively. Since its U.S. introduction in October 2009, the Panamera has received numerous awards and recognition. The Panamera Turbo was named Playboy Magazine’s 2010 Car of the Year.

Can Your Car Last 1,000,000 Miles ?

When it comes to making a vehicle last — I mean truly last — Irv Gordon has set the standard. The retired science teacher paid $4,150 for his 1966 Volvo P1800 when it was new (at that time it was almost as much as his annual salary as a science teacher), and over the years he’s put 2.7 million miles on the car.
Gordon said that he spends less than $1,000 on vehicle maintenance and repair each year–and that’s averaged out to include the two engine rebuilds he’s had done over the 40-plus years of ownership.
Today a million miles, or even 500,000 miles, is still extremely unusual for a vehicle. But nowadays, passing the 200,000-mile mark is no longer the rare occasion it once was.

Consumer Reports, through its annual questionnaire, has found that thousands of people have gone over 200,000 miles in their original vehicles without catastrophic failures or major repairs. If a vehicle is very cheap to maintain and repair, it might be a good choice to keep to high miles even if it’s not a standout for reliability.

Read the Owner’s Manual!  – When people ask Irv Gordon–the guy with the 2.7-million-mile car–what they should do to follow his example, he has some surprisingly simple advice. “I always tell people the first thing to do is read the owner’s manual,” he said. Gordon, other experts, and reports from high-mileage drivers all emphasize that you shouldn’t cut any corners on routine maintenance. Diligent maintenance can make “profound differences,” according to Dillon, in how long your vehicle lasts. In addition to the maintenance required by the manufacturer, he recommends regular flushing of critical fluids such as for the transmission, brakes, and power steering. Generally you don’t need to maintain it more often than the owner’s manual specifies,” assessed Kahn from his own experience. But he did emphasize the importance of being pre-emptive with some repair or maintenance items, ie the timing belt.

Be Proactive And Pre-Emptive -  Repairing preemptively — replacing belts and hoses long before they’re in danger of failing–and never ignoring new noises or vibrations, might be the best tip of all. It’s abundantly clear that the most successful high-mileage owners are those who understand the cost-effectiveness and importance of addressing the small problem before it becomes a larger one.

Passionate Penny-Pinching  – And that leads to a final, and especially important, point: After all these years, Gordon still really likes his little Volvo coupe. Typically, owners of high-mileage vehicles still like them — or at the very least the competitive aspect of seeing how far they can get without problems.
In 2007, Consumer Reports projected — figuring in depreciation, maintenance, repairs, finance costs, fees, and insurance — that drivers could save more than $20,000, typically, by keeping a new vehicle for 15 years and 225,000 miles versus getting a new one every five years.

Hyundai Recalling 65,000 Cars

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Hyundai Motor America announced a recall of the certain Hyundai Azera sedans made between 2005 and 2008 (model years 2006-2009) for problems with Corvette models made between 2005 and 2007 last week for problems with the vehicles seat belt.

The report, specific only to the Azera model at this point, concerns the way that the seat belt tension sensor may withstand damage that could potentially create a problem with air bag deployment.

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) says the following:

“Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2009 Azera vehicles manufactured from September 27, 2005 through October 1, 2008. The wiring harness for the right front seat belt tension sensor may sustain damange after repeated use of the seat belt. If the seat belt tension sensor wiring becomes damaged the air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, necessitating front air bag deployment.”
In a worst-case scenario, air bag failure can occur.
Hyundai is expected to begin announcing the recall this month, while the actual recall modifications will take place in February.

Last 8 days to Purchase your New Vehicle with 2009 Tax Write off:

The IRS is handing back $1,000 plus on a new car purchase this year. This is a new provision of the Senate’s Version of the economic stimulus bill. The measure, approved by the Senate, would make auto loan interest and state sales tax deductible from federal income tax.

The 2009 stimulus package signed into law by President Obama includes a valuable tax break for people who buy new cars, pickups, motorcycles and motor homes.

“You could save as much as 10% off the price of a new car by writing off state and local sales taxes. “Imagine if you buy a $30,000 car, your sales tax is nearly $3,000. You take a $3,000 deduction right off your federal income tax for 2009.” Says one dealership owner in California.

However, there are a few guidelines that must be followed:

•The deduction is limited to the state and local sales and excise taxes paid on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of the new vehicle.
•The amount of the deduction is phased out for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers.
•The vehicle must be purchased after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010, to qualify for the deduction.
•The deduction cannot be claimed on 2008 tax returns.
So you may want to consider a new car purchase more seriously before this tax incentive expires on January 1, 2010. Come down to L.A. Car Connection and let us help you choose your next vehicle.

The Results of the L.A. Auto Show

Even though there have been some serious ups and downs in the automotive industry and it’s had some major dire straits in the past year, none of which stopped the L.A. Auto Show from happening. As always, The L.A. Auto Show was held at the L.A. Convention Center, starting on Friday December 4^th until Sunday, December 13^th. The whole L.A. Car Connection, Inc. team had the opportunity to go down last week and see the latest and best of the automotive industry. Here are the top ten best new cars:

1. The Audi E-Tron: This Vehicle was one hot looking car. Reviewers were calling it the new “green sports car”. The vehicle is powered with four electri c motors, and a lithium ion battery pack, producing 315 hp.
2. The Jaguar XJ: Jaguar really stepped up their game with the Jaguar XJ. With a sleek body style, and luxurious interior, their German competitors had nothing on them.
3. The Lexus LFA: Eric Brooks, President of L.A. Car Connection, Inc. actually had the opportunity to drive one of these sexy cars a couple months prior to the L.A. Auto show. Eric says “there is nothing like this car.”  This car may have taken awhile to come around but with a speed reaching 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, this car is made for anyone with the need for speed.
4. BMW Vision EfficentDynamics: To describe this vehicle in one word, that word would be unique. BMW plans to continue to make diesel based- plug in hybrids for all their future cars. They’re claiming that this one-of-a-kind will deliver M3 performance.
5. Cadillac CTS Coupe: This is a personal favorite for one of the employees at L.A. Car Connection, Inc. This car is said to be the super classy, very fast station wagon. This two door coupe has a small bumper and smaller curb weight, and is anything but boring to drive.
6. Mini Roadster Concept: If you have never been a fan of mini coopers, just wait until you see this baby. While not as nimble as the original, this new and improved mini cooper gets amazing speed and handles remarkably.
7. Ford Fiesta: Reviewers and local newspapers are comparing this closely to the Honda civic. This vehicle has a very sleek design with the practicalities of everyday driving. Great gas mileage, and overall a great little commuter car.
8. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG :  This Mercedes is not a direct descendent of  the Mercedes 300SL, but is very similar. The SLS AMG, is half the price ($455,000) of the Mercedes SLR, but just as good, if not a little bit better.
9. Porsche 911 GT3 RS: This Porsche is the most performance based Porsche made to date. But hey, that’s what makes them such amazing cars.
10. The Buick Regal: A new Buick Regal was launched in China in November 2008 based on the Opel Insignia.In November 2009, in Los Angeles, GM introduced the car to the North American market. Although such a success in China, let’s see how this vehicle does in the U.S.

Too Busy to Get Your Car Washed? Try Mobile Detailing!

Many enjoy the luxury of getting into a new, freshly washed vehicle but unfortunately do not have the time to either get a quality wash. In between, soccer practice and late nights at the office your find yourself not taking care of your second biggest investment you’ll make….Your vehicle.  Here are some benefits of mobile detailing as an alternative.

1. Protect Your Investment – Think detailing is a luxury service? It’s actually preventative maintenance for the interior and exterior of your car. Failure to properly maintain your vehicle could lead to paint oxidation/fading, clear coat failure, faded trim, and even faded and/or cracked interior plastics and leather surfaces. Regular details ensure that these parts don’t break down over time, which keeps your car in good shape for years down the road.

2. Clean Interiors Are Healthier – What people don’t realize, the average person spends 2.4 hours or longer in their car a week. When your interior is not cleaned on a regular basis, dust mites and other allergens can develop quickly. A detailed interior promotes a healthier environment for you and your passengers.

3. Professional Detailers Do It Right – When you have a problem with your car, you take it to a mechanic because they know cars and have the proper tools to make the repair or if you’re sick, you go to your doctor. It’s the same principal when having a professional detail your car. We have the equipment, products, and expertise needed to do the best job and to do it correctly.

4. Higher Resale Value – Look at it from a different point of view– Would you buy a dirty scratched up car?  Not likely!  A thorough detail before you sell your car increases your chances of it selling quickly, and at a higher price. The extra money could be used towards the purchase of your next vehicle.  This also helps when you turn in a vehicle coming off a lease.  If your car is left in horrible shape when its turned in, you will more than likely be paying a hefty cleaning fee from the leasing company.

5. Enjoy That New Car Feel - Professional detailing performed on a regular basis is a effective way to keep your car looking great and feeling like new.  It’s the next best thing without spending the money on a new car!

6. Portray The Right Image – As quoted in Entrepreneur Magazine “To many, the appearance of a clean, well cared for vehicle, dictates the projections of the owners own personality and upkeep”