We’re not sure how influential advertising and marketing really is when someone is deciding to buy a car, but one thing is certain: Car companies spend a lot of time and money with the belief that both are of vital importance. Cadillac unveiled a new theme today for its next wave of products called “Life. Liberty. And The Pursuit.” in hopes of rejuvenating their line-up.
General Motors made the bold move of hiring edgy Modernista as the new ad agency for Cadillac. The agency is behind Hummer’s humorous TV commercials that are often more popular than the vehicles they promote. But the actual Cadillac campaign name of “Life. Liberty. And The Pursuit.” was trademarked last year, before the change in ad agencies — meaning this is a GM concept all the way. We only see ourselves being impressed by this campaign if Modernista pulls off some awe-inspiring ads to liven up the brand.
In a rare move, BMW has released early photos of the next generation Mini Cooper before its official launch and unveiling at the Paris Motor Show in September. We can’t guess why BMW went in this direction, but it probably serves them better to build buzz around the new Mini instead of trying to hide what it looks like. Plus, while other automakers may check in on others’ designs, no one is going to try to copy a Mini. Note the colored tape covering lighting elements on the body — a common trick used to throw off competitors.
From the official information we’ve seen we can expect a much improved interior, but no shots of the interior have been released. And for gearheads, the engines of both the Cooper and Cooper S have been replaced with more advanced models that produce 120 and 175 horsepower respectively. The Cooper S will replace its signature supercharger with a turbocharger setup. Both cars are said to get improved fuel economy, with the base Cooper getting around 40 mpg, up from 36 mpg highway on the current model.
We like the looks of the new Mini. It’s what those in the business call an “evolutionary” new design; one that builds off the old look. With the improved fuel economy, two added inches of length, and a much needed interior update, we expect the next Mini to be even more popular when it goes on sale in the U.S. in February 2007. For a dozen more photos click the link below.
If you were thinking about buying the full-size Expedition SUV, Ford just made it a bit easier on you. The sticker price on the 2007 model — which features a new design and more standard equipment — is $4,300 less on average than last year’s model and will go on sale later this summer.
Today’s gas prices probably preclude the casual SUV shopper from considering the Expedition, but for those who will get use from the 9,200-pound max towing capacity and three rows of seats, it is a competent vehicle. And now it starts under $30,000. The 2007 line ranges from $29,995 to $40,745, or about the same as the top level F-150 pickups. There are no current mileage figures for the 2007 but expect it to be the same or slightly better than the 2006 numbers of 14 mpg city and 19 mpg highway.
The 2007 Ford Expedition will not be included in Ford’s current 0% financing sale.
GM’s redesigned full-size SUVs debut for 2007, and Cars.com’s Dave Thomas recently got some seat time in one of them: a 2007 GMC Yukon Denali. I've also driven the Yukon, but in the lesser, SLT form, and found that many of the Yukon Denali's positive attributes are still present in the less expensive SLT.
Like Dave, I found the Yukon to be surprisingly manageable, considering its incredible size. It's very stable at speed and is relatively easy to maneuver — even on narrow urban streets. Frankly, I'm impressed by how far this class of vehicle has come in terms of stability, ride and handling, and drivability in the past 10 years.
Probably the best way to explain what it felt like to drive a car like the GT500 is to tell you that when I got back into my Civic to head home, I felt like I was driving a Matchbox car. That I was half concerned the breeze created by suburban kids chasing their ball down the street would knock me off course. That I could cover less territory through the first three gears of my beloved (and it is beloved) little coupe than I had in first gear in the GT500. So that’s what they mean by muscle cars.
All things considered, though, I can tell you pretty definitively that I'll never buy a car like this. As much fun as it was, it's equally impractical for someone like me. So I caught a bit of a driving bug in the GT500; I don't think I'd feel quite so good about it when I got my monthly Visa bill filled with astronomical charges from gas stations. I drive to get places, not to have fun (I'm sure there's a chicken-egg argument in there somewhere, but that's for another day).
Of course, there's no way Ford's concerned about people like me, given there are plenty of drivers out there who think about driving in precisely the opposite way. And if someone like me can enjoy driving the GT500 as much as I did, I can only imagine what they'll think of it.
-Beth Palmer
Read all about Beth and Dave's drive in the Shelby GT500 here. For a photo gallery click the link below.
We’re still a bit wary of how the new Volvo C30 — revealed Monday — will play in a growing segment of powerful sport compacts like the Civic Si and Volkswagen GTI. That doesn’t mean we won’t welcome another player to subject to testing and scrutiny. To aid in that anticipation is a new video of the C30 that shows the car in motion. The YouTube treatment is courtesy of LeftLaneNews.
I’ve read just about every article written about the new Shelby GT500, but there were still a few things that surprised me after I finally met it face to face.
One: It’s loud as heck … on the outside. Seriously. Click on the video to hear it. With the hood up and engine revving it sounded as violent as any Harley you’ll come across. But inside, the engine didn’t sound much louder than the regular 300-hp Mustang GT that the Shelby is based on.
Two: Even though its suspension isn’t as sophisticated as the Corvette Z06, I felt much more in control of the Shelby’s 500 horses than I did the 'Vette's 505. This goes a long way to validating Ford’s claim that a large percentage of Shelby owners will actually use them as daily drivers. Beth also commented on how she couldn’t tell much of a difference in the around-town driving personality.
Three: This thing is bad. So bad that I want one. I’m not endorsing the Shelby GT500 straight out — it was registering just over 8 mpg at the end of a long day of journalist testing, though auto journalists don’t take it easy on cars like this. But the Shelby GT500 is the kind of car that will tempt you to open your checkbook at the dealership and apologize to your wife — or husband — at home. I also understand that because of the exclusivity and limited numbers some buyers might not actually get a chance to test drive one before they have to commit to it. Hopefully this series of posts will alleviate any fears about what is usually a very risky way to buy a car.
Buckled into the GT500, my biggest concern was not hurting anyone, followed closely by not making a total idiot of myself. I’m happy to report neither happened; the closest I came was automatically pushing the gear shift all the way down and to the right in an attempt to back up. That’s obviously not how it works in a six-speed, but I realized my mistake before anything too humiliating had happened.
Once I got moving, I was surprised at how normal it felt — heavier than what I was used to, but not enough to make it strange. I don’t have a lot to compare the experience to, but according to Dave the GT500 is easy to drive for a car that powerful. I’d second that; it wasn’t at all intimidating or difficult. In fact, Dave took it out first, and while I waited my turn the nice people from Ford were kind enough to toss me the keys to the regular Mustang GT they’d brought. I took that one out first, and aside from the GT500’s obvious additional power, the experience wasn’t too different. Handling felt the same to this untrained observer, and the noise level was comparable.
I’d also guess it would have felt less normal had I driven it like you’re really supposed to drive a car like that. I’m sad to tell you the experience was limited to suburban streets at rush hour; I never even got it into fourth gear (thanks for all that indoctrination about obeying the laws of the land, Mom).
But even for someone who isn’t wired to find driving particularly exciting, punching the GT500 as hard as I dared through the first three gears was a rush. The couple of stretches of open road I found were just enough to give me a taste for how much fun it would have been to have had the freedom to really accelerate. What initially felt like a heavy car soon just felt like a powerful one, and while I don't consider myself anything more than an everyday driver, guiding the GT500 around for 15 minutes made me feel like I was. And I liked it.
-Beth Palmer
Stay tuned for more of Beth and Dave's drive in the Shelby GT500. For all of their posts click here.
Driving the Shelby GT500 is a lot easier than I thought it would be, at least driving it fast. I wondered if Beth, my fellow editor at Cars.com but not a normal reviewer, would feel the same after her drive. Ford claims a large number of GT500 owners will use the car as their daily driver, and I’ll admit that I felt much more in control of the Shelby’s 500 horses than I did the Corvette Z06's 505. The Z06 is faster than the Shelby in almost every measure, but it also gives you the same feeling as other high-powered exotic cars. For me that feeling is usually “I hope I don’t crash this.”
In the GT500 there was always a sense of anticipation to see what the car could do, and it never lost grip — even on the slick roads you find in light rain.* We hit tremendous pre-rush-hour traffic on single and two-lane roads for nearly 15 minutes. There was nowhere to go. It was killing me. This is NOT how you want to drive this car. Plus its gaping front maw just looks out of place moving along among suburban minivans and wagons at slow speeds. I just needed to find more open spaces.
Luckily a quick right turn led to a lightening fast transition through the first four gears on an empty road. I’m not going to admit how fast I was going, but I managed to slow down in plenty of time to make my next left turn ... right in front of two of the area’s finest. It seems karma was paying me back for the weather, and it was the perfect display of the delicate balance all GT500 owners will have to live with: Responsible driving in a totally irresponsible machine.
*Tip: Newly wet roads are often more dangerous than thoroughly drenched ones because of slickness from oil and rubber mixing with the falling water. Eventually this slick mixture will wash off the roads, but early on in a rainstorm is when to be most cautious. We always recommend obeying speed limits and traffic regulations.
We’re half kidding with that headline, but the release of a new model is usually a significant event for an automaker. However, General Motors is taking the quiet approach with the new Pontiac G5 coupe, based on the Chevrolet Cobalt introduced in 2005.
The 2007 Pontiac G5 base model is actually on sale now and features a 148-hp four-cylinder engine. A CD player and spoiler come standard for $14,995. There’s also a GT model that features a larger, 173-hp engine that starts at $17,795. While the base model starts for roughly $1,000 more than its Chevy sibling, the GT costs slightly less than the comparable Cobalt SS. Pontiac is not offering a higher-powered G5 to mirror the Cobalt SS Supercharged.
We’re comparing the two because the Cobalt and G5 not only feature the same engines, suspensions and interiors, but they also look almost identical save for their different grilles and slightly altered front and rear ends.
GM assures us there is no hidden meaning behind this under-the-radar launch, but we have to think the lukewarm reaction to the Chevy Cobalt has something to do with it.
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