VTEC Racer

Infiniti own by Renault. Infiniti no have money to be independent so now Japanese car owned by French company. Luxury car not possible. Infiniti dont make side mirrors like Acura, can never be true luxury. Infiniti dont afford diesel engine so borrowed V6 diesel from Renault because no money for independent development. Hybrid Infiniti just copy Toyota Hybrid design because Infiniti files for bankrupt in 6 months. Renault make Infiniti like Saab.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

dude SSFTSX SHUT THE FUCK UP

can we ban this dumbass? we've had this enough.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

and stop feeding the troll. just put him on ignore and move on.

VTEC Racer

You do the same.

SSFTSX

Its good to be bankrupt and start over again to preserve the brand. Look at Jeep-Chrysler with Fiat.
Honda is going through decade of slow sales with little technology and value. and it will lose all its brand image and once its brand image is lost no one will be interested in rescuing it. Acura is just Honda Plus. Infiniti is going more distinct than Nissan.
As i said show me that new V6 diesel in Renault product or new Infiniti Hybrid in Lexus product.

VTEC Racer

Infiniti hybrid clone of Toyota design. New GS450h have better mileage from better design and superior side mirror aerodynamic. Infiniti hybrid discontinue in 3 months because Greek financial crisis give no loan for Inifniti. Renault give Infiniti diesel for free after Infiniti no sale in EU market. Infiniti have only old VQ not for luxury car like Acura.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

I do.

You should stop trying to prove him wrong. He's just wrong in so many levels.

Have you tried to talk to a mentally effed person before? Nothing makes sense to him. So stop giving him more reason to post.

Do you get it?

SSFTSX

so your assuming only Acura is going to introduce engines. As i said just stay tune. from new 4 cylinder to all the way V8 and possibly V12 under Infiniti badge.

VTEC Racer

Acura engine superior to Renault hand-me-down engine because superior Earth Dreams Technology have better port-polishing aerodynamics. Acura Earth Dreams made independent because Honda money superior to Infiniti bankruptcy like Saab. Renault treat Infiniti like step child. Hyundai will buy Infiniti in 6 months and make ultra-luxury brand to compete with rolls Royce.

VTEC Racer

Put me on your ignore list also. You'll be doing more than just yourself a favor.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

No thanks.

Dumb fanboy vs dumb fanboy is actually pretty entertaining to read.

You are just mad that one of your favorite fanboys have taken his talent to nissan/infiniti beach.

Go ahead. Continue.

VTEC Racer

I'm sitting in a Mazda dealer eating Korean BBQ. Am I your friend now?

pttl

YEH

It's Hyundai's 1st attempt at a hybrid; the outgoing Camry hybrid didn't exactly get the greatest reviews (the new Camry hybrid really seems to have corrected all the issues of the old one and then some).

The Genesis is also nearly 400 lbs heavier than the Camry.

The Equus is similar in size to a LWB 7 Series.

Funny how you overlook how the Genesis 5.0 gets the same 0-60 time as the BMW 550i.

For V6 sales, Hyundai has the new Azera and Kia will have the Cadenza.

Also, the Genesis sedan has a far higher V8 take rate than what is traditional for the segment (usually less than 10%); at one point the V8 take rate for the Genesis was 40%.

There's a reason why Lexus abandoned offering a V8 for the GS while Hyundai has no plans to do so.


VTEC is partially right; Nissan is looking to save $$ on Infiniti development costs which is why they have formed an alliance w/ Daimler for engines and lower end platforms.

W/ no flagship sedan and sales of the V8 M being small for already small sales of the M; w/o the large SUVs, Nissan would be hurting w/ regard to V8 sales.

SSFTSX

First attempt at hybrid miserably failed. Even Honda with much cheaper and simplar technology didnot got so much embarrassed in comparison tests with Toyota.
And it has larger V6 engine with DI. Put 306bhp DI engine into Carmy and see what happens.

550I has 117inch wheelbase. Its larger car based on wheel base.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/var/ezfl...7d379343b7.pdf

they dont have any sales to speak off.
Gensis has only 2000 sales a month combined with Coupe. It is very low intake. V8 will be few hundred.
GS has high performance highbrid coming. there is no need for V8. see the almost similar test results of M35H with M56 from Infiniti.


MB is also looking to save $$. future engines will be built under Nissan quality control to supply to Daimler as Daimler dont want to invest in US engine plant.

http://www.insideline.com/mercedes-b...-tennessee.htm
Nissan Will Build Mercedes Engines in Tennessee
Just the Facts:

Mercedes-Benz and the Renault-Nissan Alliance are expanding their collaboration.
The partners will jointly build engines at Nissan's Decherd plant in Tennessee in 2014.
The Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder engines will be used in the new C-Class and future Infiniti models.

TSX69

Hybrids Losing Appeal as Cars, Light Trucks Run on Less Gas

It's a sign of the times when Cadillac is staking its comeback on a compact car that boasts fuel economy approaching 40 mpg.

Cadillac's ATS sedan is one example of how carmakers at the Detroit auto show are putting new emphasis on small, powerful models with more fuel-efficient engines as SUVs and even hybrids take a back seat.

General Motors Co.'s luxury brand brags that the ATS will run on a turbo-charged four-cylinder engine that kicks out 270 horsepower while still offering robust fuel economy.

At the same time, Ford Motor Co. said it's dropping plans for a hybrid version of its popular Escape SUV.

While past auto shows have been stocked with gas-electric hybrids and SUVs, slow hybrid sales have brought a dose of reality to the industry.

Carmakers are realizing they can give buyers what they want and avoid the expense of electric motors and batteries by shrinking cars and wringing better fuel economy from traditional gasoline engines.

"The advantages of hybrids are getting harder to justify," said Scott Corwin, a vice president with consulting firm Booz & Co. in New York. "It's the cost differential. Consumers are rational and they understand the cost of ownership."

Hybrid sales slowed last year to 2.2% of U.S. auto sales, from 2.4% in 2010, according to researcher LMC Automotive.

Hybrid challenge

The challenge with selling hybrids is that gasoline engines have become more efficient and the cost of hybrids haven't come down fast enough to justify the added expense for many buyers, said David Champion, senior director of the Auto Test Center at the Yonkers, New York, magazine Consumer Reports.

He pointed to Honda Motor Co.'s Civic, which gets 32 mpg in combined city and highway mileage, and the Civic hybrid, which gets 44 mpg.

The hybrid version of the car saves a consumer $322 in fuel a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Given the added sticker price, it would take more than 6 years to get the money back on a similarly equipped car at today's fuel prices.

Mike Jackson, chief executive of auto retail chain AutoNation Inc., said that 75% of customers come into his showrooms and want to talk about hybrids.

Only about 2.5% of AutoNation sales are hybrids.

"What happens from the 75% consideration to the 2.5 percent commitment?" Jackson said. "They look at the price premium for the technology, which is already subsidized and discounted, and say 'the payback period is too long; not for me.' It's a back-of-the envelope conversation on the part of the American consumer."

Hybrid premium

After 10 years of hybrids in the U.S. market and oil near $100 a barrel, consumers still aren't ready to pay the premium for hybrid models, said Reid Bigland, president of Chrysler Group LLC's Dodge brand.

Bigland this week introduced the Dodge Dart, which won't have a hybrid version when it begins production in the second quarter.

"The delta you get in fuel-economy lift with a hybrid is continuing to shrink because of the efficiencies with the internal combustion engine" through direct engine, turbochargers and advanced transmissions, Bigland said. "The pure economics are a tough case."

The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid gets people into the showroom, said Chris Perry, Chevrolet's vice president of U.S. marketing. With fewer than 8,000 sales last year, consumers often went to a Chevy dealer to look at the Volt and bought something else.

Half the price

Often, buyers will look at the Volt and then opt for a Cruze compact or Equinox SUV. The Cruze starts at $16,740 and gets a combined 30 mpg or more depending on which version of the car the consumer chooses.

That's about half the price of a Volt even after a $7,500 federal tax credit.

"Some people come in and say, 'The Volt is fantastic but for my needs the Cruze is better,'" Perry said.

Carmakers are even trying to squeeze more out of their expensive sports cars.

Mercedes-Benz is bragging about fuel economy for its vaunted SL coupe.

On the eve of the Detroit auto show, Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche bragged that the new $119,000 coupe is lighter and more fuel efficient that its predecessor.

"Saving weight means saving gallons," Zetsche said.

The new 2013 SL is 22% more efficient that the car it replaces, Zetsche said. With the 306 horsepower V-6 engine, the car gets about 35 mpg, Mercedes said on its website.

Role of hybrids

Hybrids will still be an important part of every automaker's strategy. Ford showed off 2 new hybrid versions of its Fusion family sedan at the auto show.

At the same time, the company said it would cancel plans for a hybrid version of the Escape.

Toyota's new Prius C, meanwhile, costs just $19,000 and gets 50 mpg.

The biggest opportunity for fuel efficiency remains with the gasoline engine, not electric cars or hybrids, for the next decade, said Xavier Mosquet, a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group in Detroit who was one of the advisers to the U.S. bailout of GM and Chrysler.

The battery in an electric car still adds $10,000 to the price of a car at current technology costs and it will be difficult to reduce that penalty in the near future, he said.

By contrast, improvements in an internal combustion engine may improve fuel economy by 40 percent with costs of $2,000 to $2,500 per model by 2020, according to a July 2011 Boston Consulting study Mosquet helped write comparing costs and benefits of gasoline engine improvements versus hybrid and electric car technology.

EPA mandate

Other changes such as weight reduction and better aerodynamics may cut fuel use by 5 to 10% each for costs ranging from $100 to $250 per car by 2020, Boston Consulting said in the study.

The challenge for carmaker will be long-term fuel economy goals. Environmental Protection Agency regulations mandate that carmakers meet a fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC, said the skepticism over electric cars and plug-in hybrids "is well justified."

At the same time, he said, "if anyone thinks they will meet future EPA rules solely with internal combustion engines, they are smoking an illegal substance."

dom

Might want to forward that article to Honda.

Face facts, most people don't give a damn about the environment. The all mighty dollar still rules.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

People just act like they care about the environment.

Colin

I don't give a crap about the environment. I do like that the CR-Z is 25% more fuel efficient that the base RSX so that saves some fuel costs. Honestly, the CR-Z is the best car we could find for 21K that had the features we wanted and a 6MT.

Hapa DC5

not like producing those hybrid batteries are all that great for the world either...

biker

Don't worry Sergio, Congress/EPA will come to their senses and modify those rules.

dom

There are always exceptions to rules. For starters there aren't many cars like the CR-Z on the market.

But for the most part when comparing a hybrid to its petrol counterpart, the math simply doesn't work when it comes to MPG nor does it drive as well as its gas counterpart.

SSFTSX

http://rumors.automobilemag.com/detr...ns-101097.html

Detroit 2012: Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn on New Sentra and Altima, Electric Cars, Future Plans



Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn was born in Brazil and educated in Paris, yet has no problem dispatching quick-fire and sometimes sarcastic remarks in English to a panel of journalists at the Detroit auto show. He paces while giving lengthy answers, frowns as he takes questions from reporters, and occasionally even laughing when journalists pose questions that Ghosn doesn’t seem impressed with.

On Crises in 2011 and New Products for 2012

“2011 has not been a bad year for Nissan,” Ghosn said. “In fact, we have grown market share everywhere.” That’s in spite of production slowdowns resulting from natural disasters in both Japan and Thailand, as well as economic uncertainties around the world. Ghosn says that Nissan escaped all these crises relatively unscathed — at least compared to Japanese rivals Honda and Toyota — in part because his company is quick to adapt to challenges.

“People will stand up and very quickly and face problems, no matter how unpleasant they are,” he said.

Ghosn said he thinks Nissan will have another strong year in 2012, and in doing so let slip that the company is working on a new version of the Sentra. He said that this year’s success will be driven by the launch of strong new products including the 2013 Pathfinder, 2013 Altima, and new Sentra.

“It will be a rich year in terms of product,” Ghosn said.

Future Products

Ghosn believes the 2013 Altima, scheduled to go on sale by the middle of this year, “should be a very strong contender.” Though he won’t outwardly admit that Nissan wants to outsell the Toyota Camry, he says he hopes the new Altima will be successful enough to sell even higher volumes than the current model — which would likely make the car the nation’s best-selling car. In 2011, the Toyota Camry recorded 308,510 sales, while the Nissan Altima managed 268,981 sales.

The 2013 Altima will continue to offer a hybrid drivetrain, but Ghosn says it won’t be a major part of the car’s sales volume.

He also gave us an early scoop by revealing that Nissan will soon announce additional production capacity in Mexico — which will, in part, provide more capacity for building the next Altima. Ghosn couldn’t say where or how much assembly capacity would be added, as the measure has not yet been approved by the Nissan board. But he says we can expect to hear more “in a matter of weeks.”

Ghosn reiterated that Nissan is still working on a new version of the Titan pickup truck — and it will be built and designed in-house, not purchased or sourced from another automaker. Selling a full-size truck is part of Nissan’s product offensive as the company works to achieve ten percent American market share.

“What you have to understand,” Ghosn says, “Is that we are going to be present in every single segment of the market in the U.S.”

The Chevrolet Volt Is Not an Electric Car

Though reporters tried to push Ghosn to talk about the Nissan Leaf in comparison to other automakers’ green cars, the executive wouldn’t be drawn on General Motors’ famous Volt. So instead, he poked fun at it.

“I can’t talk about the [Chevrolet] Volt,” Ghosn said. “Frankly… I don’t consider that this is an electric car. I think it’s a hybrid.”

Ghosn was, however, happy to talk about the Leaf, which sold about 20,000 examples around the world last year. He would have liked to see the electric hatchback hit higher sales figures, but volume was limited by slow production of battery packs. That will be at least partially remedied this year as additional construction of the Leaf begins at Nissan’s plant in Tennessee. In 2012, Ghosn wants global deliveries of the Leaf to double to about 40,000 units. So far, about 80 percent of Leaf sales are conquests — that is, 80 percent of Leafs are purchased by customers who didn’t previously own a Nissan.

Battery Range — It’s All Relative

Ghosn insists that Nissan is honest with customers regarding electric-car ranges and regular car fuel economy figures. After all, he says that Nissan can only publish efficiency numbers as defined by specific government tests. As an example, he explains why Nissan will only say that 2013 Pathfinder fuel economy is 25 percent better than in the current model.

“I am not allowed to tell you today what is the miles per gallon of the Pathfinder,” Ghosn said. “I’m waiting for the EPA to tell me what I can say.”[

At the same time, Ghosn says customers need to be aware that driving ranges and fuel efficiency vary from driver to driver. To put this into perspective, he relates the story of enlisting four engineers to find the absolute lowest battery range possible from a Nissan Leaf prototype. The four engineers drove the Leaf up Japan’s Mount Fuji, at full throttle, in freezing-cold weather with the heater on full. According to Ghosn, the engineers still managed to drive 50 miles before the Leaf’s batteries were exhausted. Why do we get the feeling this is an apocryphal tale?

Mixed Outlook for 2012

Renault-Nissan expects overall car sales to grow in the U.S. next year, but believes European car sales will contract three percent in 2012 compared to 2011. As such, the company expects to report poor results for the first half of the new year, with “moderate” financial results in the third and fourth quarters. Still, Ghosn is overall optimistic for sales in Europe.

“I don’t believe in Armageddon happening in Europe,” he said.

For more on the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, including videos, the latest photos, and more information, click here to visit our Detroit Show homepage.

Costco

If you feed the troll, it will never die.


If you don't feed it, it will starve and go away.


It's simple, really.

Black Tire

On the positive side, your more likely to see a Ferrari ENZO compared to an RL.

phile

You'll be how someone can afford the Ferrari and why someone would buy an RL

phee

iTrader: (5)

i am starting to add anyone who quotes ssftsx to my ignore list. bye bye vtec ricer

VTEC Racer

^^^^ Christmas has come early this year

TSX69

Honda Sales Increase; Civic Up 50%

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., today reported January 2012 monthly new-vehicle sales of 83,009, an increase of 8.8% over January 2011. The Honda Division posted January 2012 sales of 74,628, an increase of 9.3% year-over-year.

In its 1st full month of sales, the all-new Honda CR-V set a January record with sales of 18,960, up 16.0% over last year's record-setting total of 16,339. The Civic also continued to build momentum with sales of 21,883, up an impressive 49.5% compared to January 2011. The Accord posted January sales of 13,659, up 1.5% from the same period last year. Honda's Ridgeline pickup posted its 2nd consecutive month of double-digit sales growth, up 45.6% year-over-year to 1,245 units.

"Honda's return to full strength on the manufacturing front is already beginning to pay dividends on the sales floor," said John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president of sales. "On top of kicking off 2012 with record January sales for the new CR-V, it's gratifying to see how many Civics we can sell when we actually have Civics to sell. It's great to see customers embrace this great vehicle now that our dealers have enough cars on their lots."

The Acura Division's January sales totaled 8,381, up 5.3% compared to January 2011, with 2 models registering strong sales increases. Sales of the TL sedan reached 2,283, up 43.4% from the same period last year, while TSX sales totaled 2,266, a year-over-year increase of 16.7%.

biker

@ Crossturd, ZDX, RL sales

The new Accord can't come soon enough.

Moog-Type-S

Updated/fixed

Legend2TL

^ And yet you guys can't notice S2000 sales are -100%?

ttribe

I'd be curious to see how the 4G TL sales, to date, stack up to the 3G TL sales during the comparable period. Anyone seen analysis of such information?

TSX69

Acura Announces January Sales Increase
TL up 43%

Acura posted January sales of 8,381 an increase of 5.3 percent compared to January 2011.

"With inventory still building to optimal levels, 2012 is off to a good start," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "After the successful launch of the RDX Prototype and the ILX and NSX Concepts at the Detroit Auto Show, strong January sales and the buzz surrounding Acura's Super Bowl commercial, the Acura brand has real momentum going forward."

Total car sales reported 4,582 units, up 24.1% versus January 2011, with the TL posting 2,283 units and the TSX 2,266 units, up 43.4 and 16.7% respectively. The MDX was Acura’s best selling model with 2,861 sales for the month, down 8.5%. Total truck sales tallied 3,799 units, down 11%.

Moog-Type-S

January’s Numbers
Acura –
Audi – Up 20 percent to 9,354
BMW – Up 3 percent to 16,405
Buick – Down 23 percent to 10,208
Cadillac – Down 29 percent to 8,924
Chevrolet – Down 1 percent to 123,864
Chrysler – Up 81 percent to 17,604
Dodge – Up 29 percent to 31,454
Fiat – 1,911
Ford – Up 8 percent to 131,589
GMC – Down 10 percent to 24,966
Honda –
Hyundai –
Infiniti – Down 8 percent to 6,796
Jaguar – Up 5 percent to 985
Jeep – Up 37 percent to 31,710
Kia – Up 28 percent to 35,517
Land Rover – Up 41 percent to 3,205
Lexus – Down 5 percent to 12,274
Lincoln - Down 8 percent to 5,121
Maserati –
Mazda – Up 68 percent to 23,996
Mercedes-Benz –
Mitsubishi –
MINI – Up 31 percent to 3,334
Nissan – Up 13 percent to 72,517
Porsche – Up 6 percent to 2,550
Ram –
Smart –
Subaru – Up 21 percent to 22,807
Suzuki –
Toyota (Includes Scion ) – Up 9 percent to 112,266
Volkswagen – Up 40 percent to 36,681
Volvo – Up 4 percent to 4,461

BMW Group – Up 6 percent to 19,739
Chrysler – Up 44 percent to 101,149
Daimler –
Ford Motor Company – Up 7 percent to 136,710
General Motors – Down 6 percent to 167,962
American Honda –
Hyundai Group –
Jaguar Land Rover – Up 31 percent to 4,190
Nissan North America – Up 10 percent to 79,313
Toyota USA – Up 8 percent to 112,266

The Domestics
Chrysler posted its best January since 2008 thanks to double digit growth for almost all of its models, although it’s worth noting that the automaker’s heavily refreshed-for-2011 lineup was generally just beginning to arrive in showrooms last January. With that in mind, the most impressive performer remains the Jeep Grand Cherokee , which saw a 40 percent boost (it arrived on the scene in mid-2010), although the company’s midsize and fullsize sedans all more than doubled their sales.

Not a bad start to the month for Ford, although a close breakdown of the sales figures reveals a few red flags. A 36 percent surge in sales for the Explorer continues that crossover’s momentum, but some of the other growth last month came from some auspicious products. Lame-duck models like the Ranger (up 77 percent), Escape (up 24 percent), Taurus (up 19 percent) could indicate that deals are pretty hot on soon-to-be-replaced models.

On the other hand, Lincoln’s January was better than the overall figure indicates. All of its models other than the MKT (down 29 percent) and the discontinued Town Car (down 84 percent) saw year-over-year growth.

General Motors posted declines all around, but the automaker correctly admits that last January was especially strong. Many of its mainstream models saw modest declines last month, but there are some statistics worth pointing out. For one, the Chevrolet Sonic (5,712 units) is skyrocketing past its Aveo predecessor (2,739 last January) and the 603 Volts delivered nearly double last year’s 321 cars.

Cadillac saw the biggest declines at GM, although its lineup is two cars smaller (STS and DTS) than it was this time last year.

The Asians
Nissan set January records for its Rogue and Versa models, but its biggest volume growth came from a 36 percent increase in Altima sales (to 22,357). At the brand’s Infiniti division, the picture wasn’t as bright; sales were down 8 percent and only the QX56 and FX saw volume increases.

Mazda posted its best January in nearly 20 years thanks to increased demand for all of its volume models. The Mazda2 (3,030 sold) had its best month ever, while the Mazda3 had its best January (9,200). The only decline among still-in-production Mazdas the brand saw was a 25 percent drop in demand for its Mazda5 van.

After months of weak sales caused by limited dealer inventories, Subaru broke a pair of records last month thanks to its new Impreza. Sales were up 176 percent for the redesigned model, which catapulted Subaru to its best January ever. Impreza eclipsed Forester as Subaru’s second-best seller last month (behind the Outback).

Toyota had a strong month for many of its models, especially the Camry, where sales climbed 56 percent (to 28,295). Its SUVs were a little softer, with all but the Venza and Sequoia posting some declines. Lexus continues to struggle, although virtually depleted GS inventories (just 93 sold) didn’t help. The new GS rolls into dealers this month.

The Europeans
Audi has surged ahead yet again to post its best January ever. Its A6 is proving to be a hit, with sales up 90 percent, but the Q5′s 26 percent jump isn’t too shabby either.

After besting Mercedes-Benz for the luxury sales title last year, BMW saw a modest improvement in January, although its new 3-Series won’t be on sale until late this month. Expect a big bump in sales in March and August once the 3 is in full supply.

Land Rover surged on solid sales for its Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, which sold 1,129 and 680 units, respectively. Jaguar was a bit softer, but the XF saw a 37 percent bump to 455 cars.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/january-...0-percent.html

Legend2TL

IIRC at their peak the 3G TL was ~79K/year or average of ~6.6K/month

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Source: Acura news

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

Source: Honda News

ttribe

Interesting.

Colin

Yeah, that was 2006 if I remember correctly. It's never come close to it before or since. The 4G TL has gotten a bad lot in life, launched into the teeth of the recession with dubious styling in 2009. 2010 they over-reacted and cut production to ridiculous levels and with 8 trim levels dealers never had anything on the lot to sell. 2011 was a short production year as they retooled for the early MMC 2012. And then the 2012 was hampered by the earthquake, tsunami and finally the flooding in Thailand. What a star-crossed life it's led.