| Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. Whew—that wasn't even close! An attack on unlimited speeds on the German autobahn has collapsed after only a few days. Sigmar Gabriel, head of Germany's powerful center-left Social Democrat Party, had vented in an interview that the smallish Green Party's demands for a speed limit of 75 mph on the autobahn "make sense," serving up the (false) non-argument that "the rest of the world does the same." He ominously left open the question whether the highway limit should be set at 50 mph: "It should be up to the states." Really? His own party's candidate for chancellorship, Peer Steinbrück, dismissed Gabriel's ramblings forthwith: "The debate makes no sense." The powerful ADAC motorists' association, backed by 18 million members, attacked Gabriel and pointed out yet again that of the 3600 traffic fatalities in Germany, only 11 per cent happen on the autobahn—even though one third of all traffic flows there. And Germany's centrist government, led by the Christian Democrats and the Liberal Party, confirmed immediately that a speed limit won't happen under their reign. Eventually, Gabriel, who once collected money from VW as a consultant, backpedaled: "The next election is about other issues. I just wanted to say 'safety first'." Thanks for that, Sigmar. The true beauty of your remark is that virtually everyone else came out vocally against a speed limit. It would be tough for anyone to take that back after the next elections. What does this mean for the industry? It means that carmakers won't be able to skip autobahn-testing their cars any time soon. Their chassis, engines, and cooling systems need to function impeccably right up to top speed, if they are to stand a chance on the German market. Power to the Passat At the Vienna engine symposium, Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn announced a high-performance diesel engine. Such an engine likely will be offered in the next-generation, European-market Passat, to be launched next summer. Its 2.0-liter diesel could be offered with outputs running up to 270 horsepower. The car will be governed at 155 mph, which is the self-imposed speed limit Volkswagen conforms to. The Passat will also be offered with 1.4- and 2.0-liter four-cylinder TSI engines, which could make up to 300 horsepower. And there will be a plug-in hybrid with a 1.4-liter TSI. Sadly, the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter VR6 will be killed, and there is no indication the Passat will be fitted with the updated, turbocharged 3.0-liter VR6 VW has shown in the CrossBlue Coupe concept. The next European Passat will switch from its current PQ46 architecture to the lighter MQB platform, and the interior will be improved with better materials. One small example of the cabin upgrade: the fake, molded-in stitching on the armrests will go away. The U.S.-market Passat, which uses a stretched PQ46 platform, will carry on for several years. But it could be improved with cosmetic features from its Chinese-market sister model, like an electric park brake or LED taillights. Benz's Trucks Daimler is recalling 3500 units of the Renault-based commercial van sold as the Mercedes-Benz Citan after the disappointing result of the Euro-NCAP crash test where it was awarded a mere three out of five possible stars. The side-window air bags will be replaced. While there certainly is more than one culprit, public blame is now largely laid—and perhaps unfairly—on Wolfgang Bernhard, the cost-slashing Daimler executive who hopes to succeed Dieter Zetsche as CEO down the road. The Citan was developed under his watch. Is Mercedes-Benz kidding, grafting an SL grille onto the heavy-duty Unimog? The incredibly capable off-road truck was launched in 1951, and the "heavy lineup," with its characteristic and angular driver's cab, came to market in 1974. It is a truly global vehicle, though the frequency of sightings grows with the adversity of conditions. There is no better choice of vehicle to cross a forest, a river, or a desert, and now it has been updated with a new 227-hp four-cylinder turbodiesel and a new interior. What about that SL-class grille and those melting corners of the cab? That's the design portion of Mercedes-Benz's update. Here's a photo of the original (below), for comparison's sake:
Maurizio Reggiani on the Future Lamborghini is in the midst of its 50th anniversary festivities, and the brand is at an important stage as its lineup could be expanded with an SUV model. Previewed by the Urus concept, the tallest Lambo would be based on the Volkswagen Group's MLB platform. A while ago, I spoke with Lamborghini R&D chief Maurizio Reggiani on the new model, which seems like a departure from the brand's sports-car-focused direction. "We are talking about 2017," he said, and he dismissed speculation on a diesel: "The V-8 gasoline turbo could be the right engine, and if we are able to get volume, we could also have a plug-in hybrid." Also for the sports cars? "At the moment, we don't see that possibility."  from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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