Lincoln considering mid-engine sports car?

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011 @ 10:37 a.m.

Just as certain as sales are dropping, Ford needs to better differentiate its premium Lincoln offerings from its lesser Ford-badged vehicles. Ford says changes are on the way with seven new models over the next three years, but one of those vehicles might be something completely unexpected.

According to a report from Road & Track, Ford is at least discussing the possibility of a two-seat, mid-engine sports car for its Lincoln brand. The two-seater would be positioned as the brand’s flagship, but wouldn’t necessarily be an all-out performer.

Ford is planning to use technology to make its Lincoln offerings stand apart from Ford vehicles, and the rumored mid-engine two-door could take the lead in that initiative. Instead of a hulking V8, the proposed Lincoln flagship could use a supercharged V6 or even some kind of electrified drivetrain.

Lincoln is desperately trying to climb the luxury ranks, and a mid-engine sports car could help it climb the ranks – much like the R8 helped Volkswagen’s Audi brand. However, cross-town rival Cadillac experimented with a high-dollar sports car – the XLR – with unimpressive results. It remains to be seen if Ford will ultimately give the project the green light, but there is no denying the car would give some much needed life to the Lincoln brand.

References
1.’A 2-seat Lincoln…’ view

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Toyota considering true seven-seat Prius model

Friday, May 20th, 2011 @ 1:01 p.m.

Toyota will soon expand the Prius brand to include a larger five-seat model – the Prius V – and a smaller compact model – the Prius C – but the Japanese automaker could have even bigger plans in store for its Prius family of vehicles.

According to Toyota head Bob Carter, the automaker is seriously considering a seven-seat version of the Prius. Toyota already sells a seven-seat version of the Prius V in Japan – called the Prius Alpha – but Carter says the seven-seat model under consideration would be an entirely different vehicles.

As the Prius Alpha is based on the Prius V, the third-row seats offer very little usable room, and the same can be said for the hybrid’s cargo space. However, the new model would address those concerns, offering true seating for seven and room for all their stuff.

Although a seven-seat Prius model seems likely, Carter added that “there is nothing in the hopper.” Toyota’s engineering staff is spread thing with 10 new or redesigned hybrids in the works, but we suspect the Prius MVP will garner the attention it needs – especially considering Toyota’s goal of selling 1 million hybrids annually.

References
1.’Toyota studying larger…’ view

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Update: Nissan, Renault not considering consolidation

Thursday, Mar 31st, 2011 @ 4:52 a.m.

Although the Renault-Nissan partnership is already well established and generally considered to be a strong, mutually beneficial relationship, a report out of Japan based on an interview with the CEO of the automakers suggested a true merger was in the works.

Update:
Not so, said a representative from Nissan following the apparently erroneous report by Nikkei. “Mr Ghosn didn’t say that Renault and Nissan are leaning toward establishing a holding company,” Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa told the Associated Free Press.”Mr Ghosn has insisted that the alliance will continue to evolve.”

So despite Nikkei’s interpretation of Mr Ghosn’s words, it appears that we’re back to where we started when Ghosn said in February that no merger was in the works.

(Previous report found unedited below)
In fact, it was just February that rumors began circulating yet again that Nissan and Renault were looking to merge, but they were quickly shot down by joint-CEO Carlos Ghosn. Now, it appears as if Ghosn has had a serious change of heart given that he told Japan’s Nikkei newspaper that he hopes to bring the two companies under a single umbrella in the future.

The details of the proposed combining include establishing a holding company that would potentially hold Japan’s Nissan, France’s Renault, Russia’s (largest) AvtoVaz, Romania’s Dacia and South Korea’s Renault Samsung Motors. The interrelationships between those companies are already complicated by shared stakes, including a 15 percent stake in Renault by the French government, which would need to sign off on such a plan.

Nissan and Renault are also thoroughly tied together, with Renault owning a 44.3 percent stake in Nissan, and Nissan returning the favor with a 15 percent stake in Renault.

Should all of these automakers come together under a single ownership umbrella, Ghosn believes it would take 2-3 years to go through, but the end result would be an automotive giant that could be very near the output of global giants like Volkswagen, General Motors and Toyota.

References
1.’Nissan denies report…’ view
2.’Nissan, Renault eye…’ view

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Report: Renault considering Le Car revival

Thursday, Mar 17th, 2011 @ 1:57 p.m.

It may give George Costanza – aka “Le George” — nightmares, but Renault is said to be considering a modern version of its Le Car small car. Originally called the R5 in Europe, the revived three-door would stand as Renault’s premium small car.

According to InsideLine, Renault is considering a new small car inspired by the R5 supermini of the 1970s. The neo-R5 would be positioned as a premium offering, taking on the MINI Cooper, Citroen DS3 and the Fiat 500.

The original R5 was brought to the United States as the Le Car in 1976, but it’s highly unlikely the new model would ever make it to our shores.

The revived R5 is still in the early planning stages, but Renault designers are keen to use retro styling cues. The original’s rectangular headlights, impact bumpers and vertical taillights would likely find their way on the new car. The new R5 would ride on a version of the Clio’s small car platform.

The project has yet to get the green light, but a production version of the re-born R5 could arrive in European showrooms as early as 2014.

References
1.’Renault May Revive…’ view

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