Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Volkswagen E-Bugster

The release of the New Beetle has given Vw to be able to start its gates with new idea versions for the car. At the 2012 NAIAS, we’re getting a look at the first of these ideas by means of the E-Bugster Concept.

The E-Bugster is using the New Beetle, at the same time wearing a far more extreme style than that of the style. The account functions a reduced roofline, greater C-pillars, blacked-out A-pillars, and a new set of elegant 19" aluminum tires.

Volkswagen E-Bugster

If you remember back again in 2005, VW presented a similar-looking idea in the Ragster. That car also came with a low and smooth roofline and was being placed as a pre-cursor to the ultimate generation style. In the situation of the E-Bugster, the In in german car maker is presenting the idea as a way of displaying a new powertrain program that could gradually change to upcoming generation designs.

Volkswagen E-Bugster
 
That space program functions an lithium-ion power supply pack-powered generator unit that will be attached just under the start and back again common of the car. The generator is able to produce 114 power (85W) with a variety of 100 distance while also generating zero pollutants. The package can be energized through a connect that can be discovered just under the Vw logo with an 80-percent cost being obtained in just Half an hour.

Volkswagen E-Bugster

So while it’s unlikely that we’ll see the E-Bugster Concept previous this level, we could very well see this new "Blue-e-motion" space program later on Vw designs.

Volkswagen E-Bugster

Volkswagen E-Bugster

Volkswagen E-Bugster

Volkswagen E-Bugster

Volkswagen E-Bugster

Watch Ford Escape Hybrid SUV

The main theme of the 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV is technology. This compact crossover is meant to be geared toward fuel potency and innovative functions that are simple and fun to use. Anyone who likes technological development can appreciate the styles that went into the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV.
 
As one would expect with any hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUVserves you well at the pump. It reaches 34r town miles per gallon and 31 highway miles per gallon. The Escape line is slated to be utterly redesigned for 2013, and therefore there are some performance problems. However, for top tech comfort and elegance there's plenty to be appreciated.

The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV can parallel park for you. The technology scans the obtainable space and automatically can choose one with the right area necessities. the motive force want solely to fret regarding controlling the gas pedal and also the brake pedal. the remainder is finished by the automated system that controls the steering. this is often one in all the massive selling points of the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV.

The general safety options embrace the steadiness management, antilock brakes, traction management, facet curtain airbags and front seat front and facet airbags. sadly, one in all the damaging results of take a look at drives has proven to be the braking. The rear brakes are drum rather than disc, creating it tough to own a brief stopping distance.

The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV is offered within the base model and also the restricted model. whereas the bottom model may be a very little light-weight in customary options, the hybrid base model may be a very little a lot of appealing. twin zone climate management and also the Sync feature come back customary, moreover as sixteen in. alloy wheels, power accessories, blind spot mirror, cruise management, MyKey parental controls, and a four speaker sound system as well as a CD player and with an audio jack. The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV restricted adds many a lot of options like chrome accents for the outside, rear parking assist, sunroof, review camera, multicolor ambient lighting, heated front seats, and leather.

The Sync system is maybe one in all the a lot of fascinating functions on the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV. this technique offers you the power to manage functions through voice recognition. For powering all of these technological options, the 2.5 liter four cylinder engine is let alone a battery system that works in conjunction with the gasoline engine. Their total effort equals 177 horsepower.

There is restricted cargo area, measuring out to twenty-eight cubic feet for the hybrid model. this is often one cubic foot but the all gasoline model. The hybrid is additionally cursed with a rear passenger seat that's a take a look at of endurance and can to induce out for expanded cargo space.

The hybrid handles well, though there's a good expectation for far better, even fun, handling when the 2013 model is released. the general public has been promised an overhaul which will improve all trim levels, and provide a number of the purposeful options that almost all SUVs provide already. Telescoping steering columns and totally adjustable steering wheel is simply as hoped for as a slide and stow rear row of seats for maximizing cargo area. the price continues to be sensible, though several customers are waiting to visualize what the 2013 model really delivers on before creating a shopping for call.

Watch Hyundai Santa Fe SUV

The reasonable 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe provides varied options and provides ample cargo space. The spacious and cozy cabin keeps members of the family happy whereas the effective V-8 engine provides this crossover with enough power to induce going. For a midsize crossover the Santa Fe offers the options that the majority shoppers realize necessary whereas still keeping the name for affordability intact.
 
With the exception of giving the Infiniti version a replacement ten speaker sound system and trim line, there are not several changes to the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe in comparison to the 2010 model. The 2010 models brought new engines, that improved the performance of the Santa Fe significantly. For shoppers observing the smaller crossovers to avoid wasting slightly cash, this mid size choice might truly be nearer to the crossover you actually like.

With 3 variable designs, the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe offers tilt steering, a telescoping steering column, heated mirrors, cruise management, rear seat air vents, seating for 5, keyless entry, height adjusting driver seat, Bluetooth connectivity, 17 inch allow wheels, aspect rails for the roof, and privacy glass. the bottom model boasts 6 speakers hooked up to a sound system that gives CD, auxiliary audio, USB, and satellite radio.

The 2.4 liter, 175 horsepower engine provides 169 pounds of torque and powers the 6 speed manual transmission. With the quality front wheel drive the fuel potency is rated around twenty town miles per gallon and twenty eight highway miles per gallon. If you decide up to the SE model you will be equipped with a 3.5 liter V-6 engine that brings 276 horsepower and 248 pounds of torque. the automated transmission is customary on this model and brings the fuel potency to twenty miles per gallon within the town and twenty six miles per gallon on the highway. For the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe these numbers are undoubtedly an improvement over a number of the previous models and are cheap for its category.

When given the 2010 crash take a look at ratings the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe was given all five stars. It hit peak ratings for front impact crash tests and aspect impact crash tests. Stability management, front air luggage, and aspect curtain airbags are customary on each model. As a further safety choice you'll be able to add the rearview camera.

For maximum cargo house the 78 cubic feet of storage is highly useful. the inside style does not offer lots of special comfort when it involves seating. The seat cushions for the motive force seat don't seem to be high or long enough, inflicting several shoppers to complain of loss of support and problem seeing out of the vehicle. The 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe will have a really snug second row of seating however it lacks the pliability that's offered by reclining and sliding that you will realize on alternative crossovers.

Naturally, the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe is one in all the crossovers that retain mid vary popularity and offers an inexpensive quality for the value. There are several optional options which will drive up the bottom value however will create the complete package a far additional fascinating crossover. With sensible safety ratings and cheap fuel potency the Santa Fe illustrates specifically why the crossover has become therefore beloved.

Monday, January 30, 2012

"Transactions" Extended Version - 2012 Acura NSX Big Game Ad

Honda President Ito Forecasts Year of ‘Complete Rebound'

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co. President Takanobu Ito forecast that business results at Japan's third-biggest carmaker will climb to the highest in at least five years, led by sales of Accord sedans and Civic compacts in North America.

Business results in the year ending March 2013 will recover to levels achieved before the failure of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. roiled global markets, as sales climb above 4 million vehicles for the first time, Ito said in an interview this week. Lehman filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, six months after Honda earned record annual profits.

“It will be the year of the complete rebound,” Ito said at the company's Tokyo headquarters. “Sales in North America will lead the recovery. We'll introduce a fully revamped Accord in the fall, and that will be a big plus to our sales.”

Ito's comments reflect a revival in confidence by Japanese automakers as they recover from a year plagued by natural disasters at home and in Thailand. Toyota Motor Corp., Asia's largest carmaker, said this week annual sales will be 100,000 units higher than it anticipated last month.

“Honda's targets are definitely aggressive, but the U.S. economy seems like it's going to recover to a better-than- expected level this year so it's likely for them to achieve it,” said Mitsushige Akino, who oversees $600 million at Ichiyoshi Investment Management Co. in Tokyo. “They've remodeled their best-selling cars, and we can expect strong sales in North America to help them regain market share.”

Reversal of Fortune
Honda fell 1.9 percent to close at 2,689 yen in Tokyo. It's gained 15 percent this year, the best performer among Japan's three biggest automakers. That's a reversal from 2011, when the stock's 27 percent drop made it the worst performer.

Honda's operating income, or sales minus the cost of goods sold and administrative expenses, will probably double to 586.6 billion yen ($7.6 billion) next fiscal year after shrinking 52 percent, according to the average of 24 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Earnings reached 953.1 billion yen, 851.9 billion yen and 868.9 billion yen, respectively, in the years before Lehman's bankruptcy.

Ito, 58, is counting on the U.S. market to drive growth.

Redesigned Accord
The redesigned Accord sedan, the Civic and CR-V sport- utility vehicle will help Honda increase U.S. sales 24 percent to 1.43 million units in 2012, Ito said. Sales in the market, Honda's largest, declined 6.8 percent last year, led by a 17 percent drop in deliveries of the Accord. The Accord is Honda's best-selling U.S. model, followed by the Civic.

Ito ruled out any major overhaul of the Civic after the current version of the sedan, which failed to receive the “recommended” status its predecessors had from Consumer Reports magazine, was the best-selling model in the compact-car segment in the last three months of the year.

Honda's new models will give it an edge in the U.S. over South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., which is producing close to full-capacity, said Kota Yuzawa, a Tokyo-based analyst at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. That puts Honda in “good position” to regain lost market share, he said.

Honda may not be alone. Japan's three biggest carmakers are poised to gain market share this year at the expense of U.S. producers led by General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., according to five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

‘Unstoppable' Motorization
In China, the world's largest auto market, Honda expects its sales to rise more than 20 percent to 750,000 units in 2012 after they shrank for the first time in 2011 in a slowing market, Ito said. The company plans to introduce three gas- electric hybrid models in the country this year, he said.

“China is still strong,” Ito said. “Once motorization captures a market, it's unstoppable.”

China's total vehicle sales -- including cars, trucks and buses -- grew 2.5 percent to 18.5 million units last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, trailing growth in the U.S. for the first time in at least 14 years. Honda expects the market to expand to 20 million this year, or “just above” China's economic growth, he said.

In Thailand, where the country's worst floods in almost 70 years disrupted assembly plants and supply of components in 2011, Honda plans to resume production starting in April, Ito said. Damages stemming from Thailand forced the company to scrap this fiscal year's profit forecast.

Reorganizing Factories
As part of Honda's strategy of producing cars where they are sold, the company plans to reorganize its Japanese factories so they focus on production of minicars, a growing category that makes up about 40 percent of the nation's auto demand, Ito said. Orders for the N Box minicar in Japan reached 27,000 units in its first month of sales, more than double Honda's original target.

Minicars, defined as vehicles no longer than 3.4 meters (11 feet) in length, will account for 40 percent of Honda's Japan sales, compared with 25 percent now, Ito said.

Honda joins Toyota and Nissan in reorganizing operations as the yen, which has gained against the world's 16 most-traded currencies for two straight years, erodes the value of exports. Honda plans to boost the portion of vehicles sold in the same region they're built to as high as 80 percent, Ito said. In 2010, Honda sold about two out of three Japan-built cars in the country.

Officials at Toyota and Nissan this month have also echoed plans to increase their portion of vehicles sold in the region where they're assembled.

“Minicars will be key for us in Japan in the next five years,” Ito said.

Source;
http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LYALB80UQVI901-3I262TT8I3HDDBE46BK1GAN789

Honda out to shake up market with 1st jet next year

* Honda sees minimum 25% share of small business jet market
* HondaJet aims to be the Civic of small business jets -exec
* HondaJet to up ante on Cessna, Embraer
* Sees demand for small jets growing as users downsize -exec
* Wants to enter Brazil, China earlier than planned

By Chang-Ran Kim
TOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co expects to grab at least a quarter of the world market for small business jets soon after delivering its first aircraft next year, achieving the company's long-standing goal of taking to the skies, an executive said.

Honda, Japan's No.3 car maker and the world's biggest manufacturer of motorcycles and engines, is in the final stages of getting its $4.5 million HondaJet certified. It aims to ramp up the pace of production to 80 a year in the first half of 2013.

Honda received more than 100 orders for the seven-seater jet in three days when it began taking orders in 2006, promising a quieter engine, 20 percent better fuel economy over competing models and operational costs of two-thirds or less.

It has not disclosed an updated number of orders, but Michimasa Fujino, a Honda executive and CEO of its North Carolina-based subsidiary, Honda Aircraft Company, said it held a backlog of about three years from orders taken through its nine dealerships in North America and Europe.

"I'm very optimistic about our prospects," Fujino, who initiated Honda's foray into aviation research in 1986, told a small group of reporters at the automaker's Tokyo headquarters on Monday.

"We're doing with HondaJet what the Civic did to American cars from the 1960s. Our competitors are still producing with technology from the 1990s," he said, referring to Textron Inc's Cessna and Brazil's Embraer SA, which now dominate the 200-a-year small business jet market.

The Civic, known for its reliability, durability and mileage, has consistently been among the United States' best-selling cars since its launch in 1973, forcing industry giants such as General Motors Co to follow suit with cars to meet the country's tighter emissions regulations.

Honda's ambition of making jets traces back to its iconic founder, Soichiro Honda. The HondaJet will make Honda the only car maker in the world to build its own aircraft.

Its engine is made by a joint venture between Honda and General Electric Co.

Honda Aircraft is aiming to turn a profit by 2018, Fujino said.

BRAZIL, CHINA CLAMOURING FOR JETS
The business jet industry is expecting a rebound in sales this year after the global economic crisis hammered sales over the past three years.

While the small business jet market has traditionally been limited to North America and Europe so far, Fujino said he was fielding about a call a week from China, both from prospective buyers and eager dealers, while interest was also greater than he anticipated in Brazil, India and the Middle East.

"Right now we want to focus on delivering on the orders that we have, but I'd like to enter Brazil and China earlier than we'd initially planned," he said, declining to specify a timeframe. New demand from emerging markets could expand the global small-jet market to about 300 a year, he said.

Fujino said he was also seeing more interest in the smallest end of the market as medium-sized jet users look to downsize to get more for their fuel, much like the trend in the car industry.
"Most of our customers are owners of small- and medium-sized businesses, and many are looking to get the most out of the jets that they need," he said.

With operational costs of about $1,000-$1,200 an hour, HondaJet could make travelling in a group of five or six cheaper and more efficient than flying commercially between small cities, he said. Competitors offer at best $1,800 by comparison, he added.

Honda Aircraft will add 300-350 factory staff to bring its total workforce to around 1,000 in the first half of 2013, Fujino said.

Source;
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/30/honda-jet-idUSL4E8CU1TM20120130

Images and Specs for Tony Stark’s $9 Million Car from THE AVENGERS; Vehicle Includes Nightvision Windshield and More

Awesome..... I'd like to put a $500 deposit on one of these....
This year sees the culmination of four years of Marvel superhero movies, as the studio’s principal characters unite for May’s The Avengers. As the release is looming closer, the marketing campaign for the film seems to be ramping up. We’re starting to get looks at the film’s action figures, and the stars recently graced the cover(s) of Empire Magazine. Steve is currently braving the snow in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival, and he stumbled across a fairly ingenious bit of marketing for the film. Tony Stark’s new Acura is on display behind a closed-door setup at the festival, and the vehicle comes with some pretty fantastic features.
The 2012 Stark Industries Super Car comes fully equipped with a palm-scan ID steering wheel, enviro-clone projected hologram of surroundings, self-detonating recon drone, night-vision HUD windshield, and oh so much more. Hit the jump to see the full list of features, and to check out some photos of this $9,198,000 car that gets 234 mpg. The Avengers opens in 3D May 4th.
Here’s the specs of the car according to Acura:

Acura 2012 Stark Industries Super Car
Tactical Package
Standard Equipment at No Extra Cost
Operating/Durability Features:
Palladium-powered 80,000 TOHC 32-valve engine with titanium-forged block and nitrous fuel-injection system.
9 Speed HYPER-Shift transmission
Diamond quartz cross-drilled brake calipers
Steering wheel with palm-scan ID
Lithium Dioxide-injecting shocks
Reflex-response steering column with target guidance feedback
Super-scan theft-deterrent modulator

Defense Systems:
Info-net sensory tracker system
Invisa-shield exo-system wave modifier
Enviro-clone projected hologram of surroundings
Thermal imaging topography mapping software
Emergency homing beacon
Self-detonating recon drone

Exterior Features
Adavanced radar-deflecting capabilities with wave modifier
Bullet- and foreign element-proof clear coat and metal skin
Night-vision HUD windshield
Bulletproof hyper-traction tires
High-grade tint with radar bounce and jam capabilities
Intermittent blue and red tech flashers in all light assemblies
Underbody kit with aero-dynamic spoiler lip
Black-night painted-wheels with particle matter technology

Tactical Package
Anti-ballistic shielding body panels
Incoming scan scrambler
Low-density plasma emitters with UV flares
Encrypted computer with backup-powered interface and satellite link

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $9,198,000.00
Tax: $22,364
License and Registration: $6, 782
Destination Fee: $1,854
Total Vehicle Price: $9,229,000.00
Palladium Power Estimates:
City Miles – 234
Highway Miles – 302

Source;
http://collider.com/avengers-movie-tony-stark-car-images/140630/

Official 2012 Honda CR-V Game Day Commercial - "Matthew's Day Off" Extended Version

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Barracuda is history began in 1964 with a strange style, large and small rear window 273 cubic inch V-8 engine, package and maximum performance. In 1968 the Barracuda is a high compression version of "race" 426 Hemi engine built. Radically changed the style of the 50 cars were built. The only problem is that this car does not, by law. They have no personal protective equipment for road and drainage system.
But things will change in 1970, when a new design, unlike the previous ones, and most powerful version is used. This is labeled and promoted as' Cuda. 1970 Barracuda was built on the new version, shorter, wider and a little sporty 'platform B, Chrysler, web site. This new generation eliminated Fastback, but still two-door coupe and convertible versions.

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Plymouth Hemi Cuda 1970 'was first shown to the press in June 1969 at the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan. Likewise, the classic Detroit muscle never built. Model-1971 is only for models, both coupe and convertible versions.Close to the road version of the Hemi 450 hp and 500 Nm of torque development almost, with a choice of four-speed manual or three speed Torqueflite automatic transmission.

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

After the transition to the E platform, which looks like a larger engine compartment than the previous A-body, Chrysler will be famous in 426 ³ (7.0 L) is now available at the factory Hemi Barracuda. The Hemi Cuda have a degree from the plant about 6 miles per gallon, and sold without warranty.
List of options for 1970 include 'Cuda, rally wheels, a series of attractive colors Plum Crazy teeth the same button pistol grip, hockey stick sport stripes, hood pins and a variety of services.

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Hemi aggressive sound with a familiarity with visual culture and advertising Barrett Jackson now produces combine Cudas more expensive than most Ferraris, at the same time. The 1970 Hemi Cuda "is a limited production to more than $ 150,000 per unit sold.

 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

Consumers see fewer differences among car brands

In our new survey, Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Chevrolet continue to lead in overall perception, but by a slimmer margin

The perceived difference between the top car brands and the challengers is shrinking. That's the finding of the 2012 Car-Brand Perception Survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Chevrolet, which have been perennial leaders in the survey, maintained their top positions but have seen the points gap decrease. In fact, most of the top brands saw double-digit drops in their total scores. Smaller companies have benefited from this shift, illustrated by the small electric-car builder, Tesla, breaking into the top 10.

The survey scores reflect how consumers perceive each brand in seven categories: safety, quality, value, performance, environmentally friendly/green, design/style, and technology/innovation. Combining those factors gives us the total brand-perception score. While the scores reflect a brand's image in consumers' minds, they do not reflect the actual qualities of any brand's vehicles.Toyota continues to dominate in brand perception, although it slipped a significant 17 points, compared with last year's survey results. Other top brands—Ford, Honda, and BMW—saw their scores drop more than 20 points. The two leading General Motors brands, Cadillac and Chevrolet, did relatively better with only single-digit decreases. Dramatic events in the automotive industry seem to be affecting how consumers view auto brands. Erratic gasoline prices and a struggling economy have pushed consumers to prize low operating costs and good reliability. With safety a strong interest among car owners, we saw Toyota's perception score drop substantially after its widespread recalls of a couple years ago, a decrease from which it still has not fully recovered. Many Japanese manufacturers were challenged to maintain adequate production following the earthquake and tsunami disaster of last year. Volvo was bought by Chinese automaker Geely in mid-2010. And Saab has faltered over the last few months as it has struggled in vain to ward off bankruptcy.

With consumers becoming more aware of electric cars, Fisker and Tesla, small producers that were added to our latest survey, scored better than many well-established brands. Although awareness of those brands is relatively low compared with that of more established companies, respondents who were familiar with them held Fisker and Tesla in high regard for certain categories.In the survey we also asked how important each factor was to the respondents in making a car purchase. As in past years, safety was the top consideration, followed by quality, value, performance, environmental friendliness, design and style, and technology and innovation.

Overall, the car-brand leaders do not stand out from the pack the way they did only a couple years ago, and perceptions for the individual factors reveal significant changes. In the subsequent pages, we'll dig into the findings and explore the implications.

Best and worst in brand perception
The chart below shows the overall scores for the top and bottom 10 brands, according to the Consumer Reports 2012 Car-Brand Perception Survey. Overall scores are an aggregate, reflecting a brand's total perception level across seven areas. They are rounded to the nearest whole number. The top five brands in each area are listed below. The categories are listed in rank order of importance to consumers.ConsumerReports.org has a variety of tools that can help you quickly and efficiently narrow down your car-buying choices, based on real-world test results, reliability data, owner-cost estimates, and other ratings. In addition, Cars Best Deals Plus, our premium online offering, gives you access to CR's Bottom Line Prices, which help you get the best deal on a new car, detailed test-track reports from our engineers, and more detailed reliability findings that let you see the specific types of problems subscribers are experiencing.

How the scores were calculatedThe Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a random, nationwide telephone survey of 2,045 adults from Dec. 1-5, 2011, and collected survey data from 1,702 adults in households that had at least one car.

Overall brand perception is an index calculated as the total number of times that a particular make was mentioned as exemplary across all seven categories, divided by the total unaided awareness of the brand. (Interview subjects were asked what brands exemplified the traits, instead of being read a list of brands.) That approach compensates for awareness level, ensuring that every brand has an equal chance of leading a category, not just the best-selling or most well-known brands.Category scores reflect the number of times that the particular make was mentioned as an exemplar of the particular attribute, again corrected for awareness.

Important factors in buying a new car
This list ranks the seven key factors by how important they are to consumers when buying a new car. The percentage is based on the number of respondents who said the factor was among their top three priorities. For comparison, we've included last year's figures, though no factor had a significant year-to-year shift.

While the overall order remains the same, we did see a notable difference between genders. Women considered safety far more important (73 percent versus 57 percent of men), as well as environmental friendliness (32 percent versus 26 percent). Men place more emphasis on design/style (27 percent versus 20 percent of women) and technology/innovation (21 percent versus 14 percent).

Safety
The leading brands in overall perception typically excel in multiple categories. Volvo, however, has maintained a top-10 spot for years by virtue of its safety reputation alone. This year, the brand took a dramatic 21 percentage point drop in this factor, from last year's 70 to 49 percent. If that trend continues, it could drop Volvo out of the overall top 10 in future years and into the second tier.Several other brands are down a few points this year, with Subaru notably dropping from 17 to 10 percent, falling from the list of top five brands on this dimension. Toyota had taken a hit amid its large-scale recalls a couple years ago. But in the latest results, it has remained consistent at 13 percent, year over year, which elevated it to third place because of the other brands' decreases.What we have seen in the safety category exemplifies a trend observed with other factors—this year, consumers are identifying more brands as leaders, rather than just a select few.

Quality
As in other areas, we see scores edging downward in the quality factor, with Toyota, Honda, and Ford now sharing a three-way tie for the top spot and the top brands in general having less of an advantage in perceived leadership. The key story here is Honda losing 6 percentage points, while Toyota holds at 19 percent. We saw similar results in our 2011 Annual Auto Survey, based on subscribers' experiences with 1.3 million vehicles. In that unrelated survey, Honda moved down one position in the brand rank and Toyota held pat. Likewise, Ford dropped 10 positions in our reliability rankings.

For Honda, the perceived quality may also have been influenced by its lackluster new products. There have been several new or redesigned models introduced in recent years, including the Honda Civic, CR-Z, Insight, and Pilot, that didn't measure up to the competition or even to the model it was replacing.Brand perception can be influenced by many things, from professional road tests to marketing. Word-of-mouth from friends and neighbors can be a slower-moving though influential contributor as ownership transitions from the honeymoon phase to the seven-year itch. Honda has been relatively consistent in quality perception, but with these new findings, it becomes a brand to monitor in future reports.

Value
There is little change in the brands considered to be value leaders this year, though again, the percentage points for most of the top brands have edged downward. As the nation's economic challenges continue to linger, value remains a key new-car purchase factor. Consumers naturally want to get the most car for their money. This year's results indicate that few brands offer a distinct advantage in that area.Among the leaders, Ford saw a significant drop this year. It could reflect that the pricey cars it has introduced in the cost-conscious small-car category—the Fiesta and Focus—have taken away some of the value cachet Ford previously held.

Hyundai has long targeted value as a brand virtue; this association continues in our latest survey. The brand has introduced new small cars this past year that build on that reputation, such as the Accent, Elantra, and most recently the Veloster. All three are competitive and compelling in their segments, standing out for their relative refinement and content levels.Small cars do not ensure a perception of strong value. Among the worst performers, earning less than a single percent, are Fiat, Mini, and Smart.

If value is important to you, see Consumer Reports' ratings for Best New-Car Values, which combines our test scores, reliability ratings, and owner-cost estimates to show you which models provide the best bang for the buck.The term "value" can be open to personal interpretation, but it is clear that car buyers are looking to get a good car at a good price. Value-conscious car shoppers can find significant savings on Consumer Reports-recommended vehicles. (See the Best New Car Deals.)

Performance
As in past years, car owners consider BMW to offer the ultimate performance machines. But its score dropped significantly from last year's 27 to only 19. This precipitous drop leaves the German automaker vulnerable to the two American brands known for a legacy of muscle—Ford and Chevrolet.

Ford's score, which has been relatively consistent, could have been buoyed by its iconic, and laudable, Mustang and its expanding range of well-received turbocharged engines. Another brand known for power, Chevrolet saw a minor drop in a year in which much focus was shifted toward fuel efficiency in its marketing.

Even a new 911 wasn't enough to allow Porsche to hold its second-place position. Just off the chart is newcomer Fisker. This prestige brand is just now reaching market with its Karma plug-in hybrid, but it nearly tied with stalwart Porsche.

Toyota's regular appearance in the top rankings signal that consumers consider performance to be more than acceleration and handling. With its clear market dominance in hybrids, Toyota has established a reputation for environmentally friendly vehicles that could be influencing its performance image.

Environmentally Friendly/Green
Toyota again leads the environmentally friendly/green category, most likely driven by the Prius and other hybrids, as well as some creative marketing. The brand did drop 8 percentage points, but it still stands tall among mainstream brands. We expect its strong showing to continue as it adds new variants to its Prius sub-brand.Smart made a surprise showing this year, debuting in the top five despite having no new products or a sizable advertising budget. Its placement does raise the question of how green is truly perceived. The aptly named ForTwo scored just 28 points out of 100 in our comprehensive road test, making it one of the lowest-scoring vehicles we've tested in recent years. While it did return 39 mpg overall in our fuel economy tests, it requires premium fuel, undercutting any potential savings in operating costs. For the money, the Honda Fit is an excellent alternative, with great fuel economy, reliability, and overall test score. It isn't surprising to see Honda again claim the third position in the green rankings, with a solid reputation built on the company's dedication to reduced emissions and thrifty vehicles such as the Accord, Civic, and Fit.

Ford slipped slightly this year, despite introducing the new Fiesta and Focus small cars and backing them with highly visible marketing campaigns that included social media efforts and television show placements.Somewhat surprising, however, is that after a year of seemingly endless headlines espousing the electrifying virtues of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, those brands didn't spring ahead in this factor. Chevrolet remained consistent with 12 percent, an apparent accomplishment given the trends in this year's survey. Nissan inched up about 2 percentage points, rounding to 8 percent.Another unexpected result is that Hyundai increased just two-tenths of a percentage point, despite spreading word of its thrifty Sonata sedan—and hybrid version—as well as its new Accent and Elantra small cars. Further, official government figures continue to show Hyundai to be a true leader with its average fleet fuel economy.

Design/Style
A commonly held misconception is that car shoppers buy based on styling. Our surveys repeatedly show that more practical considerations trump aesthetics. Still, in the end, no one wants to make payments on a vehicle that they become bored with down the road. This year, Cadillac shined above all others in car-owner perceptions. For Cadillac, the design consistency across its portfolio registers strongly. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also shown strong consistency, with the carefully penned lines of their vehicles also standing out. Audi, which may have one of the most focused design executions of today's brands, just missed the top five by a fraction of a point, trailing Chevrolet.

Toyota has continued its decline. In 2010, it had 17 percent, while it now registers just 9 percent. During that time, the importance of design/style in purchase decisions has slid slightly from 25 percent to 24 this year.

Technology/Innovation
Among the seven factors tracked in the annual brand-perception survey, technology/innovation is the least valued by car owners and it is also the least dynamic. The results have proven quite consistent year over year, with the most notable shift for 2012 being that the category itself is gaining prominence in the industry.

Each of the top brands in this area offers sophisticated infotainment systems, expanding beyond high-quality audio to offer smart-phone integration and enhanced navigation systems. All have also been safety innovators; from Lexus integrating smart-throttle brake override technology to Ford offering seat-belt air bags. Further, each also offers hybrid, turbocharged, and/or diesel powertrains, tackling the technology challenge on multiple fronts.

While they appear well established, the technology leaders have newcomer Tesla nipping at their heels, with 13 percent. The California-based automotive start-up established its electric-car reputation with a sporty Roadster, and it is gaining prominence as a powertrain partner with Toyota. Soon, the company will offer a midsized electric sedan called the Model S, which may further elevate its brand awareness and prominence.

Source;
http://www.consumerreports.org/content/cro/en/cars/best-car-brands-consumer-perception-consumer-reports.html

Sunday, January 29, 2012

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

"Tell you what, Ronald. You appear at the Carlisle All-Ford Individuals, and we'll picture images of your car for a operate. If this keeps up, there could be a II pattern."

And with those ideas, our fantastic good friend Level Honda, the former administrator of this fantastic paper, did his element by getting some very pictures of Ron and Jeannie David's super-clean '76 Honda ford mustang II Cobra. We're ranking up our end of the cope by posting the pictures and some ideas to go along with them.

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

Jeff might be right. Honda ford mustang IIs are, after all, Mustang, and what better way to jump-start this pattern of kinds with one of the most exclusive IIs we've seen in quite a while. Dressed in its exclusive 302 (a 5.0, no?) two-barrel and a four-speed guideline trans, the car was seen by the Davids in 1999 in Hemmings Turbine Details.

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

Jeannie shows the story: "We had been looking for a '76 Cobra II for about two generations. We also expected around and knowledgeable family to keep an eye out for us. One day my brother's good friend knowledgeable him there was an ad for a Cobra II in Hemmings. I known as the administrator and expected him to produce pictures of the car. When I saw them, I noticed I just had to see this car in personal. The car was in Birkenstock boston, so my man and I founded to make the 500-mile around holiday to see it. When we got there and saw it calming in the individuals the front, that was it-we noticed it was coming with us since the car was in store scenario. The administrator knowledgeable us it was all exclusive and the first administrator kept it kept in shed for 11 generations. He said the first administrator had it repainted the exclusive Gleaming White Steel again almost 30 decades ago. The only maintenance operate we've done to the car was having the efficiency removed and repainted under the lid."

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

Finding this car was somewhat like rediscovering a losing really like for Jeannie, as she had another Honda ford mustang II a few in the last. "Back almost 30 decades ago, I run a dark-colored and jewelry '76 Cobra II," she says. "Since then, I've always had a exclusive location in my middle for the IIs. When I had to offer that first one in 1986, it was a sad day. I knowledgeable Ron that some day I was going to find another one, and 13 generations later I did."

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

Now that Ron and Jeannie have found the right II, they've hit the offer community quite continually around their homefront in Drums, Florida. "We've acquired several awards and recognitions at various shows around the location," says Jeannie. "The most newest award it acquired was a First Set up classification at last decades Carlisle All-Ford Individuals, where we proven for at first at that incident. It has also taken several First Place awards at group shows in Hazleton, Drums, Bloomsburg, Williamsport, and around locations, and was offered on the deal with of the Equine Group, the founded distribution of the Honda ford mustang Group of New The united kingdom.

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

Affectionately known as "Blue Lightning" by the Davids, Ron and Jeannie have clearly created the way for those to go by in the resurrection of interest in these classic IIs. Providing it's a Honda ford mustang, it's fantastic enough for us. And when it's as refreshing as this 70,000-mile original-all the better.

1976 Ford Mustang COBRA II

Ford Explorer SUV

The 2012 Ford Explorer SUV ranks a great deal like most of the sooner Expos in line. With a couple of changes to the body over the years, and an identical upgrading in technology, the 2012 Ford Explorer SUV may be a high choose for a full size crossover SUV. whereas once a truck bed SUV, the typical family began turning into additional involved regarding hauling giant families, youngsters with friends to ballet, and also the whole Pee Wee soccer team. the planning was modified to a automobile primarily based SUV.

The automobile framing qualifies it for a crossover however truly it's still the Ford Explorer SUV at heart. The optional turbo boost engine engages sort of a typical four cylinder whereas operating at the powerful level of the V6. With the promised energy savings it's undoubtedly well worth the upgrade. Combined with the overhauled chassis and also the new automobile primarily based framing, the ride is smoother and calmer, creating it ever additional pleasurable to be behind the wheel.

Of course, the reduction in chassis size and strength so as to produce the automobile like expertise implies that the towing capability that the Ford Explorer SUV has perpetually been known for is not any longer viable. The new towing capability maxes out around 5000 pounds. The EcoBoost engine doesn't have a list for its towing capability.

Another new feature the 2012 Ford Explorer SUV offers is that the enhanced safety feature for smaller passengers. The second row of seats incorporates an inflatable airbag seatbelt. The seven passenger seating arrangement has primarily confined these new safety options to the second row of seats solely, making a brand new risk for the business.

The interior is together would expect. Refined and stylish however not over the highest. The Ford Explorer SUV may be a statement of worth. the sole consistent criticism concerning the Expo's interior is that the Ford MyTouch interface, that isn't simple to use. It needs uncomfortable hand positions and problem deciphering the icons and text.

The Ford Explorer SUV comes with a number of ordinary equipment. you will find the 17 inch alloy wheels, six approach power driver's seat, roof rails, cruise management, privacy glass, MyFord advanced trip pc, integrated blind spot mirrors, and 6 speaker CD player sound system with an auxiliary jack to be offered on all models. Sync, the voice activated electronic management system, doesn't come back customary till the XLT model.

The standard engine for the Ford Explorer SUV may be a 3.5 liter V6 that seems 290 HP and 255 pounds of torque. Front wheel drive and also the customary six speed automatic transmission is upgraded to the all wheel drive EcoBoost model. Four wheel drive comes as an optional package, though the low vary gearing is not any longer on the market.

With 80 cubic feet of cargo area, innovative electronics, and purposeful seating. The seventeen town miles per gallon and 25 highway miles per gallon are an improvement upon previous models and match midrange into the pack. Overall, the Expo continues to be a good worth, offers nice family oriented transportation and entertainment, and may be seen once more as a contemporary day classic.


Infiniti QX 56 Luxury SUV

The sensible cash within the massive massive luxury cum utility automobile market look well past the simplest selling Cadillac name and charisma at alternative beauties like the Infiniti QX SUV. a really spectacular eight individuals stateroom on wheels.
The sensible $60 to $100 thousand automobile buyer makes a automobileeful examination of the Infiniti QX SUV a high vary car that is become the Nissan subsidiary's flagship providing, selling prior its abundant less pricy models just like the EX and FX SUVs, and not forgetting the M sedan. Thirty thousand miles of cruising in every kind of traffic things and much of parking in areas that look designed for lesser vehicles than the QX it's obvious that those with enough doe for the Cadillac or the Infiniti have gotten a troublesome however nice option to build. The Infiniti QX SUV is unquestionably one amongst the simplest handling outsize SUVs on the road. It really drives like an SUV 2 thirds the scale. The lightness of the steering is such that it's laborious to credit and it's superbly responsive, and many fun to drive.

At the core of the four wheel drive 2012 Infiniti QX 56 SUV may be a fuel injected 5.6-liter V-8 pushing out four hundred horsepower that matches up well with the Cadillac's 6.2. The QX factory fitted commonplace options embrace the blindspot and forward collision, additionally as lane-departure alarm systems. On an SUV as massive and beefy because the QX fifty six, this guiding technology is nearly essential however if you're one amongst those independent varieties you'll continuously switch them off. One servo mechanism you most likely can use is that the 'Around View' sensors with front and back sonar. No a lot of twisting spherical each that manner, when the cameras below the rearview mirrors, within the grille, and from the rear license-plate angle, keep you within the image. after you have paid plenty of cash for plenty of automobile, therefore who desires those expensive nudges with kerbsides, hydrants and posts. This technology and therefore the fingertip handling build the QX's virtually eighty in. width perfectly manageable. The driving vary is that the downside with the QX. It needs a much bigger fuel tank or a lot of economical power train choices to form the fourteen mpg in city and therefore the twenty mpg on the highway less of a season price tag at the fuel pump.

When it involves the external face attractiveness of the Infiniti QX SUV it's a lot of sleek and curvaceous than its major rival the Cadillac Esplanade. however nothing will build the aspect vents appear something but snarly or the driving vary something but a pain. but it positively grows on you in time attributable to the large pleasure to be had riding high in city or gliding smoothly through the countryside with the grace of a looking killer whale. Reliability is taken with a pinch of salt though there have been some little glitches that were sorted in one service visit, no surprise there, however the massive surprise is that there's a automobile around to require on the Cadillac at the standard game and to relinquish it a run for its cash.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Ferrari 599 GTO

The new Ferrari 599 GTO Berlinetta V12 is an extreme developed for specific performance-oriented breve.Si is an exclusive limited edition, which in true Ferrari tradition, is a totally new concept, although inspired production car. In fact, the Ferrari 599 GTO car 599XX, advanced experimental track, and can be considered almost a road version.

Ferrari 599 GTO

Ferrari 599 GTO is reserved only for the 599 clients who seek the ultimate expression of performance management. Ferrari 599 GTO benefits directly from the transfer of technology from the competition and Fiorano set a record time of 1'24 ".

The conference Fiorano provides only one piece of information about the potential of this car. Equally important are the technical specifications - 670 hp at 1495 kg vehicle weight power ratio of just 2.23 kg / bhp and does 0-100 km / h acceleration of just 3.35 "and a top speed over 335 kmh.

Ferrari 599 GTO

The basis of the results of the GTO is an innovative approach to the development of the chassis, which is the first car, has seen the integration of management in line to adjust the sensitivity level, which is close to the limit and highly sophisticated electronic control. The result is the almost total absence of understeer and a truly communicative chassis.

Ferrari 599 GTO

Since the policy of the Ferrari, every new Ferrari offers new solutions for road cars. So the Ferrari 599 GTO is equipped with state of the second generation of carbon-ceramic brakes, which are lighter and offer better performance, aerodynamic innovations, such as the round donuts that increase aerodynamic efficiency and improve cooling brakes and tires developed by Michelin Supersport has a wider front tire for enhanced riding stability. Car driver interface is new, with the adoption of Virtual Race Engineer (VRE), which provides traffic information for the instantaneous power. Ferrari 599 GTO is a more aggressive character is also evident in many stylistic elements reminiscent 599XX and the powerful sound of the V12.

Ferrari 599 GTO

GTO (Gran Turismo Approved) evokes two Nick Ferrari, who has entered the collective imagination as a symbol of power. After the 1962 250 GTO, which swept the boards in GT racing in 1960 and is now highly valued collector car, came the iconic 1984 GTO, which basically invented the modern genre of super.

Ferrari 599 GTO

Site contains special photographs, videos and interviews on a new car, while an exclusive preview of a small number of clients, Ferrari will be held April 14 at the Military Academy of Modena. The public debut of the Ferrari 599 GTO is its place in the Beijing Motor Show in late April.

Engine and transmission

Ferrari 599 GTO engine is derived directly from the 599XX run, but the adjustments required for approval of continuous circulation. Therefore, according to Euro 5 and LEV 2. 5999 cc 65-degree V12 affects hp 670-8250 rpm with maximum torque of 620 Nm at 6500 rpm and the power of gentle and constant pressure redline without losing the flexibility, even at low and medium speeds. This result was obtained when working in fluid dynamics and components to reduce internal friction and adoption, among other things, the 599XX is a revised crankshaft. The car also has a racing-style with a suction tube with a new diffuser-type intake geometry and short entry areas to improve power transmission at high speeds and reduce losses. To achieve maximum volumetric efficiency per cylinder, the connection between full on the front compensates for variations in volume. Here's how the engineers managed to get maximum performance at high rpm. The engine sound inside the car is carefully controlled to balance the sound of the exhaust inlet, with a 599XX derived 6-in-1 pipe. Ferrari 599 GTO is the same time, is less than 60 ms and the opportunity to change to be more of 599XX climb.

Ferrari 599 GTO

Ferrari 599 GTO

 Ferrari 599 GTO

Inside Line: 1991 Acura NSX vs. 2012 Audi R8

Interesting read.... to actually compare something with a 21 yr difference is an impressive nod to the NSX....
By Josh Jacquot, Senior Editor Published Jan 17, 2012

It's likely that Acura's 21-year-old NSX is most famous for things it never actually did.

1990, you might recall, wasn't a year when supercars covered themselves in the glory of either shocking performance or metronomic reliability. The stink of '80s automotive misery hadn't yet worn off and the glory of middleweight performers like the RX-7, 300Z and fourth-generation Supra was yet to take hold. When it came to supercars, it was the era of the Ferrari 348, a machine so awful to drive it couldn't even find a private investigator drama in which to hide.

Following, in no particular order, are some things most NSXs never did: leak, stall, stink, burn, ventilate their crankcase, cook their clutch, experience catastrophic electrical failure, overheat or simply strand their driver. The NSX, for all its hype, sprang from a time when mixing some mundane Honda Accord into the supercar stew, rolling it up in an aluminum body and dropping it into a market ripe for a real driver's car was a stupendously good idea. Good enough, in fact, to last for 15 years.

Next to Porsche's ubiquitous 911, the NSX might just be the most practical, reliable real-world supercar ever built. But in 1990 there was something more exotic about a low-slung, midengine, aluminum-bodied supercar than there was about any Porsche. And there's still truth in that statement today. Which is why we think Audi's R8 might be the best spiritual successor the NSX could have.

Here, then, is how they stack up.

The Basics
It's the cab-forward, engine-behind-cockpit layout that's the defining similarity between the R8 and NSX. Following modern trends, the R8 is bigger in every dimension. It is 1.2 inches longer, 3.2 inches taller, 4.7 wider and its wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than the NSX.
If raw output is all that matters, the NSX's transverse-mounted 3.0-liter, 270-horsepower V6 is no match for the Audi's longitudinally mounted 4.2-liter 430-hp V8. Gears are selected in the NSX via a five-speed manual transmission, while cogs are slotted home via a gated six-speed manual in the R8. And when it comes to powertrains, that's where the similarities stop.

The Audi, naturally, drives all four wheels through three differentials that produce a distinctly rear-drive balance. The NSX's rear-drive balance is more authentic thanks to a conventional transaxle and clutch-type limited-slip differential driving, well, the rear wheels.

The Numbers
The performance data in this test serve to demonstrate how far supercars have come in 21 years more so than to help determine a winner.

Accordingly, let's look first at one area where progress isn't so easy to gauge. At 3,010 pounds the NSX might be the only car we've ever rolled onto our scales that exactly matches its manufacturer's claimed weight. And because it's 611 pounds lighter than the R8 (3,621 pounds) it demonstrates one area where technology and cubic megadollars are yet to produce a positive impact in performance cars.

Fortunately, performance hasn't suffered the same decline.

Ripping to 60 in 4.5 seconds (4.3 with 1 foot of rollout as on a drag strip) gets the R8 there a solid 1.1 seconds quicker than the NSX (5.6 seconds, 5.3 with rollout). The 0.9-second gap at the quarter-mile demonstrates that it's the Audi's launch that produces its biggest advantage. Here, even the 21-year-old NSX holds its own by running a 13.7-second pass at 102 mph. The R8's 12.8-second pass at 110.1 mph is quicker, but not as much as its 21-year advantage might lead one to believe.

Handling, too, is beyond the NSX's years. It shimmied through the slalom at 69.3 mph on nine-year-old rubber, (we tested it on new tires, too, but the numbers were inexplicably worse) a feat the Audi handled at 72.1 mph. Lateral acceleration worked out to 0.88g and 0.98g for the Acura and Audi, respectively.

When it comes to stopping, the Audi's contemporary rubber and ABS technology are far superior. It required only 105 feet to come to a halt from 60 mph. The NSX needed an additional 26 feet.

The Similarities
Through the magic of the Inside Line time machine we were able to experience these two cars on the same piece of unoccupied driver's road at the same time. And the gap between them at the top of the road was nearly as substantial as the years between them. But, spiritually, there were ample parallels.

Perhaps the biggest of these is the compact, balanced sense of confidence that begins in each car's powertrain layout and culminates in confident, direct inputs from its driver. There's a deftness possessed by midengine cars that is distinctly absent in any other layout. Wood the throttle in either of these machines and its nose rises with an immediacy and directness that could never exist in a car with its mass centered farther forward.

Similarly, both cars demonstrate a willingness to change direction not available in a car with its engine placed outside the axles. Mass centralization. Don't discount it. Even when it's 21 years old.

But there are differences.

Old vs. Bold
Performance car engineers — at least those developing contemporary cars like the R8 — are obsessed with reactions. Every input should be answered with an immediate and rewarding reaction, right? That's what they say.

The result is a mixed blessing.

Twenty-odd years ago the guys making these decisions on the NSX either had different goals or different expectations. Nowhere is this dissimilarity more apparent than in the way these two cars steer. The NSX's variable-ratio steering rack (18.2:1 to 20.8:1) is slower than the R8's fixed 17.3:1 ratio, but the numbers hardly tell the story.

Predictably, the effort required to corner both cars plays heavily into the experience. The Audi's hydraulically assisted steering makes nearly no demand on its driver and still supplies enough information to attack the road confidently. The NSX's weighty wheel is better than many full manual racks we've experienced, but leaves little reason to do anything but surrender to the car's relatively low limits once understeer is achieved.

Largely, this is because we fear finding ourselves in a situation that requires "fixing" any kind of oversteer without the benefit of modern assisted steering. Call us wimps, but not before you correct oversteer in a midengine manual-steering car yourself.

Still, this limitation doesn't diminish the reward of the NSX experience. It's just one element that makes it slower than its modern counterpart.

Here's Another
The R8's reaction to throttle input is insanely rapid by 1990 standards. Partially, this is due to the blunt honesty of the first-generation NSX's simple, cable-actuated throttle. The control provided by electronic throttles has supplied engineers with undue command over a car's character. The resulting eagerness has reached the point of absurdity in some cars. Fortunately, it's not so much a problem in the R8 as it is motivation to start paying attention.

Snap the Audi's throttle open and the chassis responds instantly and intuitively. Somehow, despite driving all four wheels, the Audi reacts like a rear-driver, offering a rewarding ability to balance power against steering without the need for heavily calculated metering. Its approachable limits are a blessing in a car that could easily have overlooked such details. Vorsprung durch Technik, indeed.

Not so in the NSX.

The Acura's response to throttle input carries far less consequence. Measured against the snap-to-it reactions of the more powerful R8, the NSX's response to big, aggressive movements of the throttle doesn't demand as much attention or reward as heavily. This, we'll admit, is in large part due to a significantly lower power-to-weight ratio (8.4:1 Audi vs. 11.1:1 NSX).

It's here that the NSX, when measured against the wildly involving R8, begins to show itself for what it is: old.

Oldie but Goodie
Still, there are genuinely striking qualities in this aged sports car that are distinctly absent in the R8. Like, for example, the simple, authentic way the NSX gets down the road. Forget about radical urgency. Forget about breakneck reactions. All of the NSX's controls perform their duty resolutely but without the Audi's pressing haste. It's like comparing Mother Love Bone to Mother Theresa. One screams its intent in your face and the other is content to let its actions do the talking over the whole of the experience.

The NSX's shifter slots into the selected cog with a fidelity lacking in most modern car/driver interfaces. It's especially striking considering this car's age. That's to take nothing from the R8, whose manual shifter might be the best in the world today.

Reality says that any car as old as the NSX is going to lack the speed and confidence provided by a modern supercar like the R8. But that doesn't mean the experience is bereft of passion. Perhaps the most potent bit of character is an intake note that tunnels down its driver's ear canal, shoots through his brain stem and penetrates his soul. Truly, there are few cars before or since the NSX that offer the audible reward produced by its 8,000-rpm anthem.

Also, we'd never have thought 21 years ago that we'd look back on Honda's '90s design ethos as soulful. But viewing modern cars through the lens of small pillars, a low waistline and simple controls makes us yearn for such unvarnished honesty in design. The R8 has a similar feel, but can't match the NSX's original brilliance.

The Final CalculusThere's no way to handily summarize the best car here. And that's not what we're trying to do anyway. The point is to capture each car's spirit. The NSX, 21 years ago, was ahead of its time — both in its construction and its attitude. It wasn't the fastest or most powerful car built, but it made a strong case for combining quality, durability and everyday drivability with engaging at-the-limit character. It's an enduring formula that's built into the most successful supercars made today — including the R8.

We're not picking a winner. Rather, we're answering this question: Which car would we want in our garage? Judged on the experience alone, the answer is easy. The R8's ability to engage, its outright speed, its sound and the reward it provides during hard driving easily outshines the 21-year-old NSX.

But experience tells us those qualities aren't all that will matter in 20-plus years. The Audi supercar's place in history will be also determined by its ability to endure time both mechanically and visually. And those are much, much larger demands.

We'll be keeping the NSX around just in case.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds the Audi for the purposes of evaluation. The NSX is part of Inside Line's long-term fleet.

Source;
http://www.insideline.com/acura/nsx/1991/1991-acura-nsx-vs-2012-audi-r8.html
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