Word coming from Japan’s Nikkei business daily (as reported by Reuters) indicates that Honda has finally decided to discontinue the slow selling Acura RL and its Japanese market counterpart, the Honda Legend.

Ostensibly the flagship of Acura’s brand here in North America, the RL has been a slow-seller for quite some time, upstaged in part by the company’s less-expensive, higher-volume TL sedan. For some years now, the TL has offered more space, similar tech and even more power (in the Type S model), making the RL a particularly tough sell for dealers. Through the first half of this year, only 872 RLs have been sold in the United States.

Another production change reported by the Nikke that would only affect the Japanese market is the discontinuation of conventional gasoline versions of the Civic. If accurate, that would mean that from now until at least until the next-generation Civic arrives in the Fall of 2011, Honda will only sell the Civic hybrid in its home market.

In addition, the JDM Elysion minivan is also apparently set to get the axe.

Autoblog reached out to Honda for comment on the Nikkei story, and spokesman Chuck Schifsky would only say that the automaker does not comment on future product plans, noting that no official announcement has been made about the fate of the RL/Legend, the JDM Civic or the Elysion. Top tip, Joaquin!

[Source:Autoblog]

As recently as two years ago Chrysler and Chery were more than cozy and working on Chinese-market products that would eventually make their way this way. Nothing ultimately came of it, but Chrysler hasn’t given up on the Chinese dream. Or more accurately, Fiat hasn’t given up on the Chinese dream on behalf of Chrysler.

Fiat, which has had its own setbacks in trying to find the right joint venture required to do business in China, is now working with Guangzhou Auto. It isn’t clear how or even if Chrysler would immediately try again, since The Pentastar’s “models were as popular as Chen Shui Bian towards the end of their tenure.”

Another route would be for the Chrysler Group to let Jeep lead the charge, since the Jeep brand and small SUVs are a more welcome option for Chinese buyers. It is inevitable that Chrysler will keep trying to crack the world’s largest auto market, and if we were presumptuous enough to suggest a way to do it, we’d only need two words: Dodge Hornet.

[Source: China Car Times]

When General Motors got to work seriously changing the Chevrolet Volt from blocky concept to sleek production model, company engineers discovered that by improving the aerodynamics by 80 counts, the car netted a six mile per gallon improvement in its highway fuel economy rating (note: a “count” is a thousandth of a point of a Cd number, so reducing a Cd of 0.150 by 50 counts would give you a Cd of 0.100). On the flipside, taking out 400 pounds of stuff only improved the car’s highway mpg by one mile a gallon, though that’s largely because of the Newtonian “an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force” hubbub. The lesson for the Volt? Aerodynamics beats weight reduction as a way to increase efficiency.

Not everyone agrees that aerodynamics are key to better cars, however. On the performance side of things, let’s not forget Enzo Ferrari’s famous (and wrong) quote: “Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines.” When it comes to building more fuel efficient cars, weight reduction can play a big role. Lotus, in particular, is a big proponent of shaving pounds from its sportscars. The Elise Club Racer, to cite just one example, weighs less than 2,000 pounds.

Today, Lotus Engineering and the International Council on Clean Transportation released a study that found that weight reduction should not be forgotten and is, in fact, a cost-effective way to improve fuel efficiency. Specifically, the engineers calculate that you can have a “vehicle mass improvement” of 38 percent compared to a conventional mainstream vehicle (in this case, a Toyota Venza) and that it can be achieved with “only” a three percent increase in component costs. One important detail: this is “using engineering techniques and technologies viable for mainstream production programmes by 2020.” Even though 2020 is a decade away, it’s interesting to see how much fuel might this save. The DOE estimates that reducing a vehicle’s mass by 33 percent means a 23 percent drop in fuel consumption. Not bad. Find more details after the jump.

PRESS RELEASE

Lotus Engineering demonstrates the lightweight future of the passenger car

* Study by Lotus Engineering concludes that a vehicle mass improvement of 38% versus a conventional mainstream vehicle can be achieved at only 3% cost.
* Efficient design and lightweight materials significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

Lotus Engineering has conducted a study to develop a commercially viable mass reduction strategy for mainstream passenger vehicles. This study, released by the International Council on Clean Transportation, focused on the use of lightweight materials and efficient design and demonstrated substantial mass savings. When compared with a benchmark Toyota Venza crossover utility vehicle, a 38% reduction in vehicle mass, excluding powertrain, can be achieved for only a 3% increase in component costs using engineering techniques and technologies viable for mainstream production programmes by 2020. The 2020 vehicle architecture utilises a mix of stronger and lighter weight materials, a high degree of component integration and advanced joining and assembly methodologies.

Based on U.S. Department of Energy estimates, a total vehicle mass reduction of 33% including powertrain, as demonstrated on the 2020 passenger car model, results in a 23% reduction in fuel consumption. This study highlights how automotive manufacturers can adopt the Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight.

Dr Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus Engineering said: “Lighter vehicles
are cleaner and more efficient. That philosophy has always been core to Lotus’ approach to vehicle engineering and is now more relevant than ever. Lightweight Architectures and Efficient Performance are just two of our core competencies and we are delighted to have completed this study with input from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide direction for future CO2 reductions. We believe that this approach will be commonplace in the industry for the future design of vehicles.”

The study investigated scenarios for two distinct vehicle architectures appropriate for production in 2017 and 2020. The near-term scenario is based on applying industry leading mass reducing technologies, improved materials and component integration and would be assembled using existing facilities. The mass reduction for this nearer term vehicle, excluding powertrain, is 21% with an estimated cost saving of 2%.

A benchmark Toyota Venza was disassembled, analysed and weighed to develop a bill of materials and understand component masses. In developing the two low mass concepts, Lotus Engineering employed a total vehicle mass reduction strategy utilising efficient design, component integration, materials selection, manufacturing and assembly. All key interior and exterior dimensions and volumes were retained for both models and the vehicles were packaged to accommodate key safety and structural dimensional and quality targets. The new vehicles retain the vision, sight line, comfort and occupant package of the benchmarked Toyota Venza.

Darren Somerset, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Engineering Incorporated, Lotus’ North American engineering division which led the study, said “A highly efficient total vehicle system level architecture was achieved by developing well integrated sub-systems and components, innovative use of materials and process and the application of advanced analytical techniques. Lotus Engineering is at the forefront of the automotive industry’s drive for the reduction in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions and this study showcases Lotus Engineering’s expertise and outlines a clear roadmap to cost effective mass efficient vehicle technologies.”

The full report, entitled ‘An Assessment of Mass Reduction Opportunities for a 2017 – 2020 Model Year Vehicle Program’ can be found at the following link: http://www.theicct.org/documents/0000/1430/Mass_reduction_final_2010.pdf

The 2020 Passenger Car Technical Detail Body The body includes the floor and underbody, dash panel assembly, front structure, body sides and roof assembly. The baseline Toyota Venza body- in-white contained over 400 parts and the revised 2020 model reduced that part count to 211. The body-in-white materials used in the baseline Venza were 100% steel, while the 2020 model used 37% aluminium, 30% magnesium, 21% composites and 7% high strength steel. This reduces the structure mass by 42% from 382 kg to 221 kg.

The low mass 2020 body-in-white would be constructed using a low energy joining process proven on high speed trains; this process is already used on some low volume automotive applications. This low energy, low heat friction stir welding process would be used in combination with adhesive bonding, a technique already proven on Lotus production sports cars. In this instance, the robotically controlled welding and adhesive bonding process would be combined with programmable robotic fixturing, a versatile process which can be used to construct small and large vehicles using the same equipment.

Closures/Fenders
The closures include all hinged exterior elements, for example, the front and rear doors and the rear liftgate. One alternative approach included fixing the primary boot section to improve the structure, reduce masses and limit exposure to high voltage systems. A lightweight access door was provided for checking and replacing fluids.

The closures on the baseline Toyota Venza were made up of 100% steel. The low mass Venza closures/fenders would be made up of 33% magnesium, 21% plastic, 18% steel, 6% aluminium with the other 22% consisting of multiple materials. The mass savings are 41%, a reduction from 143 kg to 84 kg.

Interior
The interior systems consist of the instrument panel, seats, soft and hard trim, carpeting, climate control hardware, audio, navigation and communication electronics, vehicle control elements and restraint systems. There is a high level of component integration and electronic interfaces replace mechanical controls on the low mass model. For the 2020 model the instrument panel is eliminated replaced by driver and passenger side modules containing all key functional and safety hardware. A low mass trim panel made from a high quality aerated plastic closes out the two modules. The air conditioning module is incorporated into the console eliminating the need for close out trim panels; heated and cooled cupholders are integrated into the HVA/C module. The audio/HVA/C/Navigation touch screen contains the shifter and parking brake functions and interfaces with small electric solenoids. This eliminates conventional steel parking brake and shifter controls and cables as well as freeing up interior space.

The front seats mount to the structural sill and tunnel structure eliminating conventional seat mounting brackets (10 kg) and the need to locally reinforce the floorpan. The composite front seat structure utilises proven foam technology; the seat mass is reduced by up to 50%. The rear seat support structure is moulded into the composite floorpan eliminating the need for a separate steel support structure. The front and rear seats use a knit to shape fabric that eliminates material scrap and offers customers the opportunity to order their favourite patterns for their new vehicle. Four removable carpet modules replace the traditional full floor carpeting; this reduces mass and allows cost effective upgrading of the carpet quality. The floorpan is grained in all visible areas. The 2017 production interior mass was reduced from 250 kg to 182 kg with projected cost savings of 3%. The 2020 production interior mass was 153 kg with projected cost savings of 4%.

Chassis/Suspension
The chassis and suspension system was composed of suspension support cradles, control links, springs, shock absorbers, bushings, stabilizer bars and links, steering knuckles, brakes, steering gearbox, bearings, hydraulic systems, wheels, tires, jack and steering column.

The chassis and suspension components were downsized based on the revised vehicle curb weight, maintaining the baseline carrying capacity and incorporating the mass of the hybrid drive system.

The total vehicle curb weight reduction for the 2020 vehicle was 38%, excluding the powertrain. Based on the gross vehicle weight, which includes retaining the baseline cargo capacity of 549 kg and utilising a hybrid powertrain, the chassis and the suspension components were reduced in mass by 43%, with projected cost savings of 5%.

Front and Rear Bumpers
The materials used on the front and rear bumpers were very similar to the existing model to maintain the current level of performance. One change was to replace the front steel beam with an aluminium beam which reduced mass by 11%. The use of a magnesium beam was analysed but at the current time exceeded the allowable price factor.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
The air conditioning system was integrated into a passenger compartment system and an engine compartment system. This section addressed the under hood components which included the compressor, condenser and related plumbing. The under hood components were investigated for technologies and mass.

The study showed a relatively small mass difference for the underhood air conditioning components based on both vehicle mass and interior volume. Because of the highly evolved nature of these components, the requirements for equivalent air conditioning performance and the lack of a clear consensus for a future automotive refrigerant, the mass and cost of
the Toyota Venza compressor, condenser and associated plumbing were left unchanged for both the 2017 and 2020 models.

Glazing
The glazing of the baseline vehicle was classified into two groups: fixed and moving. The fixed glass is bonded into position using industry standard adhesives and was classified into two sub groups: wiped and non wiped.

Factors involved in making decisions about glazing materials include the level of abrasion it is likely to see during the vehicle life, the legislative requirements for light transmissibility, the legislative requirements for passenger retention and the contribution it will make to interior noise abatement.

The specific gravity of glass is 2.6 and the thickness of a windshield is usually between 4.5 mm and 5 mm, therefore the mass per square metre of 5 mm glass is approximately 13 kgs. The high mass of glass provides a strong incentive to reduce the glazed area of the body, reduce the thickness of the glass and find a suitable substitute that is lighter. Fixed glass on the side of the vehicle offers the best opportunity for mass reduction.

The mass of the baseline glazing was retained for both the 2017 and 2020 models; this was a conservative approach. It is possible that coated polycarbonate materials may become mainstream in the 2017 – 2020 timeframe for fixed applications.

Electrical/Lighting
The estimated mass savings for using thinwall cladding and copper clad aluminium wiring, as used on the 2017 model was 36% versus the baseline model. The lighting technologies section reviewed included diodes, xenon and halogen. The study also reviewed a variety of wireless technologies under development for non-transportation applications that could be used in this time period pending successful development for mobile applications.

About Lotus
The main operating subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is Lotus Cars Ltd, which has two operating divisions – Lotus Engineering and Lotus Cars. Lotus Engineering is an internationally recognised automotive engineering consultancy based in Norfolk, UK. Global facilities include those in Michigan (USA), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), China and offices in Germany and Japan, with rapid expansion in new territories such as South East Asia.

Lotus Engineering provides comprehensive and versatile consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, offering a full engineering service from initial concept and project design through development and integration of the complete vehicle to meet all worldwide markets and customers to full production. This includes third party ‘niche vehicle’ engineering and manufacture worldwide.

Lotus Cars builds world class, prestige, high performance sports cars for sale in 37 countries. These include the iconic Lotus Elise, the Exige, the 2- Eleven and Lotus’ latest model, the Lotus Evora. Lotus is a global high-tech company, expanding rapidly and committed to driving forward technology for both Lotus Cars and its Engineering clients, spearheading research into such areas as hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels.

[Source:Autoblog]

With a $175,000 check going to the Peak Performance Pole winner and new rewards for the other front-row starters – plus extra IZOD IndyCar Series championship bonus points – “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is looking to make Pole Day the Greatest Spectacle in Qualifying. In a new two-session qualifying format just announced for the 2010 Indianapolis 500, the top nine cars after the initial four-lap runs are completed will have their times erased and will go into a second 90-minute round where they need to make at least one additional pass. They will be gunnin’ for not just the pole, but a cash payout more than twice what it was last year.

Besides the $175,000 check going to the pole winner, second place gets $75,000 and the final front row starter will get $50,000. In addition to the money, there are more championship points being doled out at Indy this year. Typically, the IndyCar Series rewards the Peak Performance Pole Award winner one point, but for this year’s 500, the series will award points to every qualifier. Pole gets 15 points, second receives 13, third 12, and so on for spots 4-9. Positions 10-24 get four points each and everyone else gets three.

The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be claimed during the traditional four-lap runs, with each car getting up to three attempts during that time. The top nine follow that session up with the new pole shootout session, while the final nine spots will be filled on Bump Day (May 23), with four-lap qualifying attempts that could start bumping low qualifiers once 33 cars have already qualified. All of which should add just a little extra excitement to this year’s Indy 500.

[Source:Autoblog]

It’s only been on the market since December, but the 2010 Acura ZDX has already gotten its first official recall. According to AutoWeek, Acura believes that less than two percent of the 1,850 ZDXs built so far were assembled with a dashboard material that was incorrectly cut. The problem could cause the passenger-side front airbag to deploy improperly.

If you think you may have one of the affected vehicles, you are urged to take your minty-fresh ZDX to your local Acura dealer so the vehicle can be inspected. If there is indeed an issue, the entire dashboard will be replaced at no expense to the owner.

Owners should be getting notifications through the mail any day now. Alternatively, you can also call (800) 382-2238 for more information.

[Source:Autoblog]

With Acura’s decision to nix V8 power and rear-wheel drive in favor of new hybrid drivetrains, dealers are worried that the brand’s relentless pursuit of Tier 1 status – on par with Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz – may be threatened. But that’s not the real news.

Buried at the end of an Automotive News piece about a recent Acura dealer meeting was this gem:

“[Jeff Conrad, vice president of the Acura division] confirmed that Acura is considering a small car below the TSX sedan. The vehicle not only would compete against the BMW 1 series, Audi A3 and Volvo C30 but also would help meet looming CAFE regulations.”

With the TSX’s growth spurt, a smaller offering from the automaker could be in order, and judging by the competition, that could mean the rebirth of the RSX. Then again, Acura could pull a CSX (an upgraded Civic for the Canadian market) or maybe even a CR-Z-based offering. Judging by the choice wording, we somehow doubt the former is in the cards, but with Acura’s recent hybrid push, something with a gas-electric drivetrain seems likely.

[Source:Autoblog]

Think of a road-ready rally machine, and what pops into your head? Likely the Subaru Impreza WRX STI or Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, right? Well Subaru hasn’t won the World Rally Championship in seven years, Mitsubishi in eleven. In fact, neither is even trying anymore: Both have withdrawn from the championship. No, that territory is Citroen’s to claim. The French automaker (with its star driver Sebastien Loeb) have been the reigning champs since 2004, but Citroen hasn’t really capitalized on its gravel-drifting prowess with anything even approaching what of the WRX and Evo. Until now.

Although the current C4 Loeb has won the past three world rally championships in remains in active duty for another season – with former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen taking the wheel in the junior team – after that the new rally-spec DS3 (previewed in a batch of spy shots a few months ago) will take its place. From the looks of things, however, Citroen isn’t waiting around for the DS3 to match the C4’s dominance before they roll out the street version.

Following an earlier report last month hinting at the hot DS3’s arrival, a handful of photos showing what insiders suggest is the finished product have leaked onto the interwebs. Brought to us by our compadres over at Autoblog Spanish, these shots were recently confirmed as the real deal (and not as photochops as originally suspected) when the same car showed up in other images released (and since retracted) by the factory.

The car pictured features wider wheel flarings housing bigger hoops and riding on a dropped suspension. Sources peg it at 15 millimeters stouter than stock, with NAFTA four-pot brakes front and rear. Under the hood, the 1.6-liter turbo four is tipped to produce between 200 and 210 horsepower, driving through a six-speed manual (the jury’s still out on the presence of a limited-slip differential) and likely to the front wheels to propel the DS3 Racing to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds. The Halloween livery may be a love-it-or-hate-it affair, but this is likely what we’ll see, if the reports prove accurate at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. For our part, we’ll take ours in deep blue, with a big red leaping bull on the side and our names printed above the doors.

[Source:Autoblog]

Chrysler made one of the past decade’s strongest design statements with the 2005 introduction of the 300. The rear-wheel-drive sedan with blocky styling was a knockout with both the general consumer and, maybe more specifically, the aftermarket. Five years on and the 300 is still a SEMA favorite.

Sometimes, modded 300s look pretty swank. Of course, sometimes not so much. If you’re standing in Chrysler’s shoes, obviously you want to muscle in on this market. Meet the 300 S6 and 300 S8. Essentially, these two cars are appearance packages. However, we think they’re great looking appearance packs.

The big difference between the new cars (both are badged with “300 S” instead of the more Audi-infringing S6 and S8 monikers) and the regular 300 is the grille. Gone are the full chromed snouts of the normal 300s, in are blacked-out grilles with chrome surrounds and body-colored accents. The doors are “shaved,” the mirrors are body-colored and the headlight bezels are darkened. And, of course, the 20-inch wheels are highly polished.

The interior is also done up in low-key bling. There’s a carbon weave steering wheel with red stitching and silver spokes, “track-tested” leather seats with a “300 S” logo with perforated suede inserts. The door handles are also done up in carbon weave with red stitching – a cool, thorough touch.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between the two special edition models themselves, the 300 S6 comes with a 3.5-liter V6 (250 horsepower, 250 pound-feet of torque) and the 300 S8 comes with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (340 hp, 390 lb-ft of torque). Visually, the difference is quite slight. The 300 S8 has twin pipes and nearly solid-red taillights, while the 300 S6’s rear lights feature a clear round circle. Also, we called Audi to ask about infringement on their S6 and S8 names. “No comment.”

[Source:Autoblog]

The Reva NXG concept car looks aggressive, like it wants to hunt down anyone who says that all electric cars needs to look silly. The Chevrolet Spark concept, too, looks pretty darn good for a little car. The two companies are working together on an all-electric car for the Indian market and it was revealed at the New Delhi Auto Show this week. Sadly, the look of the car is a big bag of yawn.

The car in question is the Chevrolet e-Spark, and it would be India’s first four-door electric vehicle. The outside is simply the standard Indian-spec Spark, but Reva’s EV powertrain sits underhood. Detailed information on this car is scarce, but we hear it will have both regular drive and boost modes as well as regenerative brakes. There might also be an option to get the car with either lead acid or lithium-ion batteries. Production should start sometime this year.

[Source:Autoblog]

In what would arguably be the first optimistic news for Saab faithful out of General Motors in some time, Reuters is reporting that GM has extended its December 31 bidding deadline for the 60 year-old Swedish marque – a move that will actually trigger the restart of some of the company’s production lines next month.

Reuters indicates Spyker Cars’ chief executive Victor Muller (head of the company believed to be in the lead position in the bidding war) has let slip that GM has extended the deadline until January 7, and Muller reportedly believes that there are still several parties involved in the bidding process.

Adding credence to Muller’s statement is word that Saab spokesman Eric Geers has been quoted as saying that Saab’s production lines will fire up on the new 9-5 sedan (above) and the 9-3 convertible: “We have the orders and we have to deliver them as usual. We also have the orders for the 9-3 and others. The factory has to continue again… we are preparing the wind-down process. At the same time we are open to options, to bids that come in. Therefore the deadline has also been dropped.”

Looks like industry analysts and Saab loyalists will have to wait until early next year for a conclusion to the sales saga. Will there be cheers and gears in 2010, or jeers and sneers? We’re not sure yet, but once the dust settles, we’re looking forward to someone chronicling this whole sordid affair in a nice, thick book. Thanks for the tip, Ed!

[Source:Autoblog]