May 31: Who are these guys?

I seldom watch the Indy 500. I check out the F1 procession at Monaco in the morning and then head to the golf course (if I'm lucky). Nothing wrong with the Indy race, it just isn't my thing. Occasionally, I might catch a few laps out of curiosity, like I did last Sunday. I know that the racing is first class and death defying, as those cars dice back and forth at speeds way over 200 mph. Pretty good stuff.

As I was watching those few laps, an ad popped up for Mullen Technologies Inc's new Qiantu K50. It's a car, not an oven cleaner, as I first thought. But, what the hey? Where have I been and missed this, soon to be on sale, new car for the North American market? I mean, they are adverting on a major sporting event, which smacks of big bucks. What gives?

Maybe Summer dreams?

A little research and I saw that Mullen is a California based US tech company, that has serious plans to bring the new Qiantu K50 to market in the good ol' USA in 2020. Blue sky dreams? Maybe not, as this car is actually a Chinese model simply being lifted in whole from the Forbidden Kingdom. And it is electric. Mullen wants the K50 to be their first car and after getting established they'll move into the very profitable suv market. Ok, good for them.

I make a point of it being electric, as I don't believe in the history of the automobile, there has ever been a time when more new cars were being proposed. Everyone wants to get on the electrifying band wagon, although this one seems to be real, as it is currently on sale in China.

K50 cabrio

A few details.........this will be a powerful supercar for cheap coin. How cheap, the astute among you ask? The current figure being tossed about is somewhere in the $125-$150k USD range. Even with the higher number, this bulbous sportscar is cheap. I wonder if dreams like this come true? Mullen plans to sell 1000 initially with the launch version and then 2500 annually. Good friggin' luck, boys.

What intrigued me is that this recent start up was blowing big coin on the Indy 500 ads and most of us have never heard of this Chinese car or its American importer. And they are taking deposits!

I love a good story and that's what I think we have here. Just a good story and a few cars sold. Another EV start up that will be history in the not too distant future. Any bets?

Let's check back in 2022.

Until next time.........

May 28: Another player?

Big news and news that has been in the making for sometime. Recognize this corporate symbol? If you said anything but the French car company, Renault, then you'd be wrong.

For the past few years, FCA (Fiat Chrysler) has been searching for a partner and we're not talking sex here, we are talking about survival. The late head of FCA, Sergio Marchionne, had approached other companies for a merger, as he felt one needed to be a big player in the global auto business, as opposed to being a bit player (and possibly be headed for the corporate graveyard). With all the changes happening these days, having two or more companies sharing R & D would give them a competitive advantage, while saving mucho dinero.

So back to Renault and the just announced merger proposal between these two companies. Advantage to FCA is Renault's EV development. Advantage to Renault is FCA's presence in North America. It would seem to be a marriage made in heaven.

Renault knows that Peugeot is headed this way, so with this new combo, maybe Renault could beat them to the punch. And if this is their end game, what could Renault bring to our market? Well, I'm glad you asked, since making vast unfounded assumptions is my forte. Let's take a walk thru this French company's product line and cherry pic a few possibilities.........

Captur - small suv

 

Scenic - compact suv

Koleos - large suv

From top to bottom, small to large, Renault has some very interesting suv's and we all know, that in order to scratch and claw your way into our market, one has to offer an suv or several. But what else might find a home here?

How about a hot hatch? 

Megane RS

Hyundai is adding a couple to the mix to take on the iconic VW GTI, so maybe the juicy little Megane RS might nab a few buyers on their way to the VW dealership? It certainly looks better than the looks the same while continually evolving VW.

Now for some dreaming in technicolour. How about a neat little wagon version of the Megane RS?

 Sure, wagons don't sell, but they look so good. Maybe throw an all-wheel drive system under it and do the old Volvo Cross Country trick. Voila', instant and great selling suv. Following along in that vein, may I present the Talisman estate........

And since FCA is suffering through a dearth of sedans, why not bring over this Talisman as well........

Better looking than anything FCA is selling over here these days. No Hemi? No problem? Sedans still sell in the millions, so why not try to get a small chunk of that market with a car that is already on sale in Europe?

Crystal balling for certain, but if this Renault/FCA marriage comes to pass, I have no doubt the former will look to trying out the huge North American marketplace one more time. Can't let the soon to arrive Chinese have all the fun.


Until next time.......

May 22: Mercedes-Benz?

Here is the ultimate Mercedes-Benz, a vehicle that stands alone. Tough like no G Class could ever be. Slower than even the lowliest Benz and proud of it. Heritage that is derived not from the track, but from the fields and back woods of its home country. Stylish in a brutalistic kind of way. No wonder that The Arnold ("I'll be back") has one in his garage.

So, what is this wunderkind, that always gets such high praise for its prodigious capabilities?  Would a picture of the first one from way, way back in 1948 make your guessing any easier?

Not a chance, eh? Stumped? Well folks, this is the Unimog, the beast of burden that has been a true friend to European farmers over the years. And to any other tough job, that required a rugged little truck to make sure that the job got done. Kind of like a Jeep on steroids and with all those Jeep-like abilities........

Climbing mountains

Discovering uncharted territory

This extremely versatile little tough guy or girl (since aren't machines referred to as females?), now comes in two styles. Why? No idea, I just know that one looks like a real truck, while the other one looks a bit like what we might see roaming around the Red Planet one day.

A Unimog for all occasions...........

 

 

 

You name it and the Unimog has been there and done that. But what price greatness? If you mean cost, well the cheapest versions come in around $200,000 Cdn. Of course, add a few custom touches from the option list and like any other Mercedes, these bulldogs can go stratospheric in a hurry. Makes a Jeep seem like a sensible purchase.

Like Arnie, you want one, don't you? Your old Hummer has worn out its welcome and the kids it used to scare have all grown and moved away. Well folks, you are in luck. No you can't drop by your local Mercedes dealer, but there is a company on Canada's west coast that will make your strange dreams come true. And make your neighbour's G Class looks like the wimp you know it is.

Unimog. Mercedes-Benz strangest offspring.

Until next time........

May 17: What are we missing?

 

What stunning new Lexus has this sumptuous interior, complete with a partition separating that annoying driver from you and your perfect world? If you said the LS, that would be a really good and logical guess, but it would be wrong.

On our recent trip to Asia, we saw the upgraded Toyota Alphard van, the Vellfire, dripping with chrome and ready transport the upward mobile, or already there, rich folks, to their next appointment. Stop to think about that for a moment. What wealthy individual wants to be in a "luxury" Toyota? Good question and the answer is probably none of them. Solution? 

 You got it, Toyota. Slap a hideous grille on the Alphard's front end (which is already plenty ugly in its own right) and call it the new for 2020, Lexus LM. Sure, it's an Alphard in disguise, but it has a chrome Lexus nameplate, so all is forgiven. And just imagine your neighbour's envy. But that front end is wild in the extreme and I do mean extreme.......

 Picture this is your rearview and even a self driving car would get out of its way.

There us another point to today's blog. Luxury vans seem to be unique to the far east, as no one in North America is begging anyone for a chauffeured van. Even Buick has an upscale van in China. Over here Buick is struggling to find their niche, but in China, where its sales are almost double those in North America, it is a sought after brand and one that competes with Lexus. So Lexus has a luxury van, then Buick has a response with the GL8.......

And if the Lexus interior is over the top, then the show car Avenir interior will give it a run for the money.......

 Picture this gorgeous cabin in any luxo car or suv and it would be a perfect fit. Its owner would feel very comfortable in these surroundings, when using their van rather than their Mercedes. Actually they'd probably feel better.

Take note soccer moms, your standard issue vans are no competition for these Japanese treats.

So what are we missing? Will this be the next big trend? Luxury minivans? I'd guess not and I don't believe anyone over this side of the Pacific feels that we are being left out, by not having these models here. 

The question remains though, why are they even over there?

Until next time.......

May 14: The never ending line

The great electric vehicle conspiracy is gaining steam, like a nymphomaniac at a Mr. Universe contest. Of course, there is no conspiracy by the electric companies to have everyone driving an electric vehicle (EV) and using their glorious and profit making electricity. It just seems that way, when everywhere you look there is another EV being shown to over the top fanfare. A fun fact.......there are five hundred (500!) EV companies registered in China. Sure, lots of them or most of them will amount to nothing, but even if 5% make it to market, well, you do the math.

Watch out, Tesla, these folks are gunning for you.

Let's take a brief run thru of some of the most promising new EVs scheduled to arrive in the next year or so. Some are from new companies, while others are from the tried and true. Keep in mind, that not all of these cars are focused on the North American market initially, but are expected to arrive here in the close to becoming reality future.

Ever heard of Honda? Stupid question, so it's not unexpected to see that they have shown their first to arrive EV, a small urban runabout.......

While this little number gains traction in the market, they can work on getting their real volume EVs up to speed with less range anxiety.

Thank goodness for China when it comes to Volvo, for without their new ownership by the Chinese giant Geely, they would be "dust in the wind" (with apologies to Kansas) by now. The first EV from this brand will wear their Polestar performance label......

Not quite a sedan,  not quite an suv.........well maybe an suv coupe, so it should be safe in the market as a car or whatever, that will appeal to the trend followers, once they figure out what a Polestar is.

Those two are givens, as they are backed by the big guys, but what about those other companies with Tesla envy? Which ones look like a good bet (ain't nothing sure in the car business) to find a long term home in the EV market? Crystal ball time.

Back to China..........

This is the Geometry EV. Just another EV sedan, so nothing special? No so fast, Bucko, as this car is from Geely and if they want this EV brand to succeed it will, after all look how they have brought Volvo back from the nearly dead.

Next is Byton........

Chinese backing, but with strong management talent from BMW and Nissan, so who would doubt that this EV won't arrive fully formed? To bet against this company would be like saying Martha Stewart can't make a "good thing".

Recently out of the blue, Rivian, a Michigan company showed two EVs and said they would be out within the next year........

Did I doubt them? Yes, sir, but now Ford is backing them in a big way, so I expect them to arrive on schedule and with a quality product. Their suv and pick-up show cars looked fully formed and ready to rock, not like some futuristic fantasy.

Bought a vacuum cleaner lately? Bought a Dyson? If you did, then I know that you are a high roller, as these unique machines are priced in high end Mercedes territory, or would be if they were a car. Dyson recently applied for a patent for their EV suv due out in 2022. The pic below simply shows a rendition of Dyson's EV based on the patent info, so it may look entirely different when it arrives to suck up the road (pun intended)........

Courtesy of Autocar

Yes, I know that there are tons of other worthy prospects, but my feelings are that these few are the surest things we will get one of these months or years.

No more annoying traffic noise in our EV future? Well, there will always be that holdout down the street who cranks up his internal combustion motored vehicle and revs it a bit. Gee, that might be me.

Until next time........

May 10: The Emperor's new ride

If you've been lucky enough to be born into royalty, no matter what the country, you'll usually have access to some things, that us mere mortals can't even dream of. Like the British prince, Archie, born the other day to Meghan and Harry. He'll have access to a golden coach pulled by six white horses. Sure, it might not be what turns us on, but if it did, we'd simply be out of luck. It ain't going to happen.

Now, if we journey to the other side of the world, we'll come to Japan, where their newly crowned emperor, Naruhito, got to go to his coronation in the ultimate Japanese luxury mobile. A golden coach? Not so gauche, folks. The new emperor is being driven to this auspicious occasion, in the rarest of rare, a Toyota Century Royal. A what?

Feast your eyes on this ne plus ultra ride of royalty and those other breathers of the rare air, whose wealth  we can only fantasize about.......

 

For over fifty years, this car has been the chosen ride of the very special citizens of the Land of the Rising Sun. Only a few hundred a year come off the slow moving Century Royal assembly line and those that do are prepared for their buyers meticulously. For instance, a multi-coat paint job, that is hand rubbed to perfection, after each painstakingly applied coat. Better than a Rolls-Royce? Possibly. 

And to shield the rider from the envious eyes of those ne'er do wells trying to peer into the inner sanctum, note that the Century Royal features side curtains for the back windows. Deep tinting, oh no, that is for those other people.

And in case you still question the pecking order, that this luxury ride provides, check out the outrider car below........

.......a mere custom Cadillac for the emperor's security detail. Hardly worth mentioning in the same blog as the Century Royal.

Envious? Obviously. Yearning for a chance to ride in this Japanese vehicular treat? Well, I'm happy to tell you that there is a way, but you'll only be able to do it once. Worth the cost? Absolutely.

Until next time........

May 7: Strangest Asian Oddity

I call this the strangest Asian oddity and with good reason. Each country or region has their own vehicular perculiarities, but this one, in my mind, is the most bizarre.

Our recent Asian trip was a mind opener for us in a few ways. We went from the city states of Hong Kong and Singapore, both dripping with money, to the rank and very crowded capital of the Philippines, Manila. Considered to be the most densely populated city in the world. I can believe it.

In every big city I've ever visited, being stuck in a traffic jam is a great time for car spotting. While others may complain, I'm checking out the local rolling stock. In Manila.......well, let's be charitable and just say it was terrible. Not a single high end vehicle to be seen. Oops, I'm sorry, one very old Mercedes sedan and an equally old BMW X5.

Character? Yeah, you might say that, but Manila had other charms.......

Not sure of the year and model of this horse, but there were a few of these tourist traps in the city centre. But what Manila is really known (famous?) for is the Jeepney and the city was crawling with these works of art(?)........

What the heck is a Jeepney, other than someone's expression of bad taste (at least to these eyes)? For this explanation, we have to go way back to the end of WW11, when the US was pulling out of the Philippines and had to get rid of a huge amount of what were then surplus Jeeps. Lacking for municipal bus service, these Jeeps were made into cheap buses, by easily stretching the frame and adding cheap metal sides. Safe? Sure as long as you didn't get into an accident.

What made the Jeepneys famous was their ability to show off the artistic (term used loosely here) skills to get a message across, often religious in nature.......

 Those folks look comfortable? Not likely, as this is what they are subjected to once inside the Jeepney.....

No, we didn't ride in one, although after seeing what else we experienced while away, it's rather surprising.

Not all Jeepneys are ancient, although you couldn't tell that by looking at them. Companies continued to make new knock-offs until quite recently. They drive around emitting noxious fumes and using gas like it was free. How inefficient are they? A 54 passenger bus uses the same amount of fuel as does a 16 passenger Jeepney. Good reason to try phase out these unusual rolling tourist attractions.

None the less, the Jeepney was one of the highlights of our trip and something which I was looking forward to seeing. Now, I've seen enough to last a life time of car spotting.

A blank canvas for its owner

Farewell to Asia and a wonderful trip.

Until next time.......

May 3: Happy Birthday, LR!

 Happy Birthday old fella. Born way back in 1948, a couple of months before your blogger. But, hey, what is age to a couple of old troopers, who think young (whatever that is) and don't live in the past? Yes, the Land Rover is that old. Conceived, as the ad says, "......for the farmer, the countryman and general industrial use." Nothing fancy, just a perfect utility vehicle for those who need an appliance-like machine with amazing capability. The original Land Rover was the perfect choice and maybe at the time, the only one.

I remember a friend's father had one for a short time and took me out for a quick open air ride. Rough stuff. I can still remember him grinning like an idiot, while I bounced around next to him. Don't know how long he kept it, but it wasn't too long before sanity prevailed.

Basic in the extreme........

The very first Land Rover

But what a reputation this little bulldog achieved for itself. Give it a task, no matter how tough and the Land Rover passed with the proverbial flying colours. Over time this small utility was modified for hundreds (thousands?) of uses........

Humble beginnings. Over the intervening years, of course there were changes, but the original shape became iconic, just like the Jeep's. Also, over the intervening years, people's tastes changed and the Land Rover evolved along with those changes........

Utility gave way to luxury, so what had started out as the most basic..........

.....grew into over the top luxury. An interesting story, but one I've covered before. 

Going back to the original concept, Land Rover dropped what had become the Defender, a couple of years ago, but promises were made about a new Land Rover, that would be closer to the old one in concept, but of course, built for the market demands of the 21st century. Spy photos popped up in the motoring press and even Land Rover has contributed to the speculation. Obviously the Land Rover's off road credo would have to remain in place.......

From a Happy Birthday, to what will the major redesign bring seventy one years after the first LR rolled off those British assembly lines? More upscale to be sure and thoroughly modern, as this very early rendition shows.......

While we wait for the official unveiling at this September's Frankfurt show, take a moment to reflect on Land Rover's past successful seventy one years and the little engine that could, that started it all and join me in wishing it a very Happy Birthday!

Until next time.......