If you think that there won’t be an automaker around that’s having a worse year than Toyota, then you might be surprised that Chrysler is actually having it worse.

Many have expected that Fiat’s rescue of Chrysler was the best thing that ever happened to Chrysler in recent years. When it comes to tech prospects, yes. But sales figures have shown that it might not really be the case.

Overall sales are only down 3% but more than half of their sales are to fleet customers. Consumer sales are down 44% meaning that many car buyers have opted for other makes instead.

Fleet customers do not really translate to good business. While they do provide the added volume on sales, they do often come with bigger discounts. Unlike with regular customers where discounts can only go so far hence a wider profit margin.

As for Toyota, sales are down by 14% even after freezing sales on eight of its models for a week.

Porsche still is quite happy with how the Panamera is doing and development on the car hasn’t ceased yet. This here’s Porsche’s take on a four-door convertible which meant lopping the top off the Panamera.

A series of patent applications showcases the car. Porsche officials have mentioned that the car might not really make it to production but the patent applications in the US hint differently.

It is possible, however, that it’s just a way of safeguarding Porsche intellectual property so until we get to see a concept or an official statement from Porsche, it might not be wise to hold one’s breath.

The problem with creating a four-door convertible is the need for other structural reinforcement. With the roof gone especially with the B-pillar gone (that’s the pillar found in between front and rear windows), the car needs to add on weight for additional stiffening of parts.

Typically, convertibles cost more to develop due to these structural reinforcements. However, no automaker has made a convertible version cheaper than the hard top. Production costs don’t really seem to matter since it’s the styling that automakers usually put a premium on.

Source: Autocar

The Honda CR-Z had all the potential for being a car that many would’ve probably bought if only for the looks. Too bad Honda’s headed to a different direction and sort of ruined the car for many gearheads like me.

First, they turned it into a hybrid. Then they toned down the styling unlike the one we all liked with the concept. Those are two big enough reasons to get me turned off with the car. The Mugen-tuned one’s not too shabby though.

Anyway, the car’s set to go on sale later this year but insider buzz has revealed that this nearly never came to fruition. The reason – the US execs didn’t want the car in their showrooms. They wanted the idea of a sporty looking hybrid but many of them wanted it to have a stronger punch to match the style.

The CR-Z packs a 1.5L i-VTEC with a hybrid motor. It produces a total of 122 hp which isn’t really powerful. That’s the same power figures that one can get with a standard Japanese family saloon car.

If you think that the Japanese are the only automakers capable of electronic wizardry in Asia, here’s Hyundai convincing you that the Koreans otherwise.

Hyundai’s set to take on the Ford Mondeo with their i40. But aside from the really flowing design, the i40 packs some interesting tech that might make a few people want to spring for it.

The i-flow concept (on which the i40 is going to be based) showcased at the Geneva motor show packs tech such as the smart grille that controls the amount of air flowing through it to cool the engine.

The car also packs regenerative braking and a thermo-electric generator which retains heat to give the car the jolt it needs for a cold start.

Now those are pretty smart tech for a car. Personally, I don’t think I’m the type of guy who’d be prompted to go for the Hyundai over the Mondeo just for the tech. But I’m sure some people will.

Ring the panic bells. Ferrari’s going hybrid. Now BMW’s going front-wheel drive. Okay, so maybe that’s no real reason to play the doomsday card. It’s just the way it is for automakers these days. Embracing change and all the crap.

Anyway, the break in tradition won’t affect beloved models. Front-wheel drive will be introduced to a new entry-level model to be slotted in beneath the 1-series (pictured) and will be sharing components with the Mini.

This would usher in break from BMW’s tradition of building only rear-wheel and four-wheel drive configurations.

BMW’s looking to increase hardware sharing among its models to bring production costs down. Whether or not these savings will translate to lower-priced Beemers has yet to be seen.

AMG has always been responsible for giving Mercedes’ old man cars more punch to make the younger crowd want one. Now here’s an engine that’s AMG unveiled as part of their AMG Performance 2015 buildup – a 5.5L V8 twinturbo engine.

The engine dishes out supercar-esque range of 544 to 571 hp with a max torque range of 590 to 664 lb-ft of torque. Those might not be the most powerful figures that ever came out of AMG but those figures aren’t exactly weak either. Those can easily match many supercars in the power and torque category.

The engine will debut this summer and will be seen in the new S63 AMG where the engine will be mated to AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed transmission. That enables the car to zoom from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds and go all the way up to 186 mph.

The car’s quite economical too for an engine that huge, AMG claims that it can get 22 mpg. We think that’s probably only if the driver doesn’t floor the engine as much.

Nissan will definitely be taking on the Tata Nano, Nissan executive VP Collin Dodge assured the media at the Geneva motor show.

The Tata Nano has been making a killing in India with the release of the Tata Nano. Nissan would also want to have a slice of that emerging markets pie.

Now, their take on an “Ultra Low-Cost Car” is reported to have run into some setbacks but Dodge says that the car will be built. Nissan has delegated the main task of developing the car to its partner Bajaj Auto.

“The partners are aligned to the project and to the agreed objectives. The project is proceeding as planned,” said Bajaj Auto vice-president of business development S Ravikumar.

Three automakers are basically part of the project with the Nissan and Renault alliance working in tandem with Bajaj auto. The project was conceived in 2008 when buzz about the Nano was huge. Nissan is targeting a $3000 price tag on the car.

The Nano sells for $2500.

British racing legend Stirling Moss has been injured but not out on the track (mind you that age hasn’t stopped him from appearing in public) but in his home, in an elevator (that’s “lift” for you, British chaps).

A malfunction of the elevator meant Moss stepped into an empty elevator shaft, falling three stories breaking his ankles and feet. His spine was also damaged in the fall.

Moss has proven to be a tough cookie that wouldn’t really crumble. Old Formula One fans would probably remember when he crashed a Lotus in 1962 at Goodwood. The crash placed him in a coma which practically ended his racing career.

Moss is still in extensive care but doctors said that the legend is now clear of any immediate danger.

Now falling into an elevator shaft in your home? That’s something only rich people fuss about.

F1 testing has winded down and the McLaren car has proven to be quite the competitor after setting the pace. As always, the competition isn’t too happy about the results.

Red Bull claims that McLaren’s rear wing, the airbox and the engine cover are designed in such a way to give the MP4-25 an advantage on the straights. Ferrari has also joined in on the issue.

“There’s a bit of a fuss over McLaren’s rear wing,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner said. “They have a slot on it and they can pick up a lot of straight-line speed.

Formula 1 has issued rules on the use of aerodynamics such as the specifications of wings and the prohibition of winglets in order to level out competition.

McLaren, however, insists that the car is legal and that they have designed it within FIA regulations on aerodynamics. If the FIA has indeed been notified of a protest, the matter is expected to be resolved before the first race of the season.

No one would have expected that the Lada badge would be placed on anything this fast. Over the years, Lada has been associated as the Russian’s people’s car. Not really well built. Not even stylish. But it gets the job done. It even still has that commie vibe decades after the fall of the USSR.

But Formula One fans would probably be amazed to see the Lada logo slapped on a Formula One car. Renault has just unveiled its new livery for the 2010 season and on the car is Lada’s logos. This is after Lada agreed to sponsor the Renault F1 team.

For conspiracy nuts out there, this is not some commie plot to ruin F1. Renault owns a 25% stake in Lada’s parent company AvtoVaz. Instead, it’s actually a move to promote F1 to good old Russia once again. Renault also has tapped Russian Vitaly Petrov to pilot one of its cars for next season.

Talks have already begun on a possible comeback of F1 to Russia with the possibility of a Moscow Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton is in the market for a new Formula One manager. This is after an announcement that Lewis has dropped Anthony, his father, as manager.

The announcement cited Lewis’s “growing maturity” as one of the reasons for the move. The older Hamilton also has quite a lot of business interests that need his attention.

“I’ve been in F1 for quite a while now and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my dad. He’s done a fantastic job. But he’s done that job,” said Hamilton.

Lewis has been under his father’s management ever since he started his racing career. Anthony Hamilton made much work and sacrifice to support his son’s racing career.

Anthony Hamilton will be busy with his GP Prep academy which allows up-and-coming drivers to have a go at one-year old F1 cars.

Check out this snazzy looking concept from I.DE.A. For those of you who are asking who the heck I.DE.A is. They’re the Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering. Get it. I.DE.A.

They’re a Turin-based car design and engineering company that has designed quite a number of cars for international companies. They’re the ones guilty for bringing us the likes of the 1993 Lancia Delta, 2000 Kia Rio, and the 2008 Tata Nano to name a few.

Anyway, this here’s the SOFIA concept which is, by far, perhaps their best design yet.

“The curves are graceful, the lines smooth and supple, the shape and profile are as enchanting and alluring as a female figure. The front and rear light clusters convey a captivating and inviting look. Sculpted lines emphasize the front and rear wings with the bird’s eye view showing off the car’s hourglass figure,” said a statement released by I.DE.A.

It’s basically just a showcase of design but the firm claims that the car will be able to take on an 8-cylinder engine with either a front-wheel or a rear-wheel drive configuration.

Nothing like a cash prize to light a fire under people’s asses. Edmunds.com announced that it will be offering $1 million to anyone who can fix the throttle issues in Toyota vehicles.

Toyota has been plagued by a throttle issue that has prompted the company to recall millions of vehicles. The “fix” Toyota rolled out, however, wasn’t able to really address the issue. Thus, Edmunds.com tries to step in by offering the big bounty for whoever can fix it.

“We have heard compelling testimony from consumers. Many incidents are not fully addressed by recalls. NHTSA is responding to the challenge with more of what they have already done: additional investigations. Isn’t it time to try a different approach? We at Edmunds.com think so,” said CEO Jeremy Anwyl.

Quite a ballsy move from Edmunds.com but if it would mean that it’d solve all the problems. Quite frankly, Toyota should fire their engineers and hire the person or group who wins the million dollar bounty.

Now here’s a car for a midget James Bond. Or perhaps something that writers/directors would have him drive in a car chase across the streets of Italy in an effort to rip off The Italian Job.

Meet the Aston Martin Cygnet – Aston’s new small car that they’d be offering as an alternative city transport for rich people. Quite honestly, it’s just the marketing twist for a car that’s aimed to lower Aston’s fleetwide emissions and fuel consumption averages.

The Cygnet is based on the Toyota iQ. It’s powered by a 97 hp 1.3L engine that allows the car to hit 105 mph. Not too shabby for a small car.

The most important thing about the Cygnet is the badge. It might have Toyota underpinnings but the Aston badge boosts the car’s profile a thousand-fold. And don’t expect that this will be an Aston on the cheap that you can own. The car will only be available to existing Aston owners.

The car’s currently showcased at the ongoing Geneva motor show.

I’ve always liked the Ford Focus. It might not be the best family four-door around, but it does give drivers the versatility of having a sporty ride with all the practicality needed by the family. Now here’s another version of the Focus that’s specifically built for the driver with more practical needs – the Ford Focus Estate.

“As with all of the models in our new global C-platform portfolio, there is scope to offer… this estate in markets around the world,” so says Ford of Europe boss John Fleming.

The platform has proven to be solid. The Mazda 3 shares pretty much the same underpinnings as the Focus and so does the upcoming Kuga. A new performance version of the Focus is also set to be unveiled by 2012. No word yet if the new model will be replacing either the ST or the RS.

The new Focus Estate will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show.

I really wonder why some automakers still want to squeeze in something in between the segments in their marketing line. Here’s Mercedes with their new sport range.

The MercedesSport will be launched at the Geneva motor show and will be available for various models. The initial rollout will be on the E-Class. All current E-Class models will have the MercedesSport options with a variety of mechanical upgrades and styling biys.

For the mechanical upgrades, MercedesSport offers a sports suspensions kit and a sports bake system. Styling upgrades include roof and rear spoilers, diffusers and black 18-inch rims. The interior can get sports treatment as well with stainless steel pedals and leather steering.

Mercedes has yet to reveal all the goodies that come with their new sports range but we can only expect these details to be clearer by launch date.

Safety cars might not be as fast as Formula 1 cars, but they could be as powerful as heck. Meet the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Official Safety Car for the 2010 Formula 1 Season.

This is officially the most powerful F1 safety car of all time. The car is powered by a 6.2L V8 that dishes out 563 hp and a max torque of 479 lb-ft. The engine is mated to an AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission. With that much power, the car can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds and go all the way to 196 mph.

While it’s supposed to be not a good thing if the safety car comes out, it’d be interesting to see how well the safety car will be able to keep pace when it does need to go out.

And with those gullwing doors, whoever said a safety car has to be boring?

What I love/hate about tuners is that they have no reverence to any marquee. Check out the Masonry-tuned Rolls-Royce Ghost that’s been tweaked to dish out a wicked 720 bhp.

Masonry slapped on larger turbochargers, a new intake manifold and catalytic converters and remapped the ECU to get an additional 150 bhp over the standard Ghost. The torque figures also get a 177 lb-ft bump to 752.

That much power allows the car to get from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds. The limiter’s been taken out too so the car can go all the way to 193 mph. That’s pretty quick and pretty fast given the sheer size and weight of a Rolls-Royce.

For added bling, Masonry also gave the Ghost a funky color scheme and 22-inch gold rims. The car also boasts of a revised side skirt and a new rear wing and integrated rear diffuser.

Source: Autocar

Check out the new Porsche Cayenne. It’s still ugly as heck but at least it’s better. Thing is, Porsche just won’t be able to do away with their SUV since it practically accounts for about half of their profits, so the best way for them to move forward with the car is to improve on it.

Porsche promises that the new model is lighter and more efficient than the older model thanks to a simplified transmission. They’ve taken away the low-range gearbox so there’s no real chance for going offroading in this one. Not that the Cayenne has been at par with the like of Range Rovers in offroading ability.

Aluminum bits in the hood, doors and axles also helped the car keep trim. The car will be powered by a choice of engines including a gasoline V8, a gasoline V6, a diesel V6, a hybrid with a V6 gasoline.

The 4.8L V8 dishing out 395 bhp will be found in the S while a turbocharged version dishing out 493 bhp will be found in the Turbo.

I’m sure Fiat will have the Geneva show abuzz with its showcase of speedy cheerful small cars bearing the Abarth badge as the company showcases the 500C Abarth and the Punto Evo Abarth.

The 500C Abarth (pictured) now gets 138 bhp and 152 lb-ft of torque from its 1.4L engine. The engine is mated to a 6-speed flappy paddle gearbox. The drivetrain allows the car to zip from 0-62 mph in 7.9 seconds and all the way to 127 mph. And get this – an Esseesse version of the 500C is also in the works.

The Punto Abarth is a bit more powerful and zippier getting 161 bhp from the 1.4L multiair engine. That power figure allows the car to pip the 500C, with a 0-62 time of 7.5 seconds. The Punto will also edge the 500C with a top speed of 133 mph. A 178 bhp Esseesse version will be readily available.

Looks like no one will be able to beat Fiat with their slew of pocket-sized speedsters. Personally, I’d take a Fiat over all the other sport minis out there.

I really wonder what’s the big deal with one-seater “personal mobility” vehicles. The Segway was an interesting concept but it still failed to revolutionize the way we travel. Toyota came out with the iUnit and the iSwing. Now Honda has come up with the 3R-C which will be showcased at the Geneva motor show.

Good thing Honda also makes bikes since you really can’t tell whether this thing is a car or a trike that decided to run backwards. The electric vehicles has three wheels, sits one person, and has a canopy but leaves the driver’s head exposed.

And the 3R-C operates similarly to a bike as well. It runs on bike tires and the driver uses a handlebar-like wheel to steer. Good thing this thing will not be put to production yet and only serves to show Honda’s current take on urban personal mobility.

While the other teams had been doing their laps around Jerez in the 2010 season tests, newcomer US F1 has yet to come out with a car with which to compete.

Now, rumors have been abound regarding the possibility of competing in the season opener at Bahrain and even for the whole season.

US F1 is reported to be asking the FIA to miss as many as four races before entering competition. The team currently has no racing car yet and has signed just one driver – Jose Maria Lopez who is only known as a touring car champion.

F1 official Bernie Ecclestone has already said that he has doubts regarding US F1’s participation.

Looks like things are shaping up pretty well for McLaren and their newest sports car – the MP4-12C. And McLaren promises that it’d be quite the car.

Head of development Mark Vinnels claim that the MP4-12C is the most “stable high-speed car” he has ever driven. The car is entering its final stages of development under the supervision of Vinnels.

“The benchmark competitor vehicles we have tested become nervous and twitchy at higher speed, but the 12C feels more stable than anything I have driven. Because the bump rejection is so good, the ride is smooth and the steering is solid,” Vinnels claimed.

Now part of the MP4-12C’s technology are a revised version of the M838T twin-turbo engines, a transmission with new gear ratios, a better cooling system, and new suspensions.

Then again, these are all internal opinion and who knows how many cars Vinnels has actually driven? Let’s wait for the actual production version and see how respected motoring journalists actually say about the car.

Source: Autocar

Formula One cars continuously lapped the Jerez track from the third official test run for the 2010 season. The fourth day say a sunny sky and 11 drivers do their laps and, unlike the result of the first two runs, the field saw a varied lap time board as teams continue to tweak their cars for optimal performance.

2009 world champion Jenson Button saw the top of the leader boards at the end of fourth day, edging out Renault’s Robert Kubica and BMW Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi.

Lotus, who missed out on the first trial runs, made up the time lost by lapping the track 141 times with Jarno Trulli behind the wheel. Former Toyota F1 teammate Timo Glock now driving for Virgin only completed 28 laps due to hydraulic problems.

The 2010 season might just offer some really interesting battles especially with the old dogs like Michael Schumacher back in the pack to slug it out with the younger crowd.

Combined times lust after the cut.

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BMW is really keen on developing the BMW Megacity – its contender for the budding electric city car market. BMW hopes to launch the electric line as a sub-brand in three year’s time.

As for directions, BMW will be building the Megacity at its Leipzig plant in Germany. The plant currently houses the production of the small 1-series and the X1.

BMW initially showcased an electric 1-series at the Detroit auto show to show off its current electric powerplant. However, BMW has given no clear indication whether or not the Megacity will be sharing any of its components with the 1-series.

The Megacity is the culmination of the BMW project-i which aims to develop zero emissions vehicles. Some might remember the MINI E – the first electric vehicle from the project.