It will come as little surprise to millions of frost-bitten Britons, apart from possibly those at the Met Office.
This winter was the coldest for more than 30 years, official figures show.
Temperatures in December, January and February struggled to stay above zero, with the UK’s average a chilly 1.51C (34.72F), making it the deepest freeze since 1978-1979.
And in Scotland and Northern Ireland it was the hardest winter since 1962-63 when snow covered much of the UK from Boxing Day to late March.
Altnaharra in northern Scotland recorded this winters’ lowest temperature, with the mercury plummeting to minus 22.3C (minus 8.14F) on the morning of January 8th.
Tomorrow, the curtains will open on the 2010 Geneva Motor Show press days so that means we’ll be getting a bunch of pre-auto show releases today. One of the most exciting debuts in Geneva includes the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, the new top model in the Gallardo lineup.
When compared to the standard Gallardo LP560-4, the weight of the Gallardo LP570-4 has been dropped by 154 pounds to a total dry weight of no more than 2,954 pounds. That makes the Gallardo LP570-4 the lightest road-going model in Lamborghini’s lineup. Lamborghini says that one key factor to cutting weight is the exterior and interior components, which are made from carbon fiber.
Power for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 comes from a 5.2L V10 making 562-hp with a maximum torque of 399 lb-ft. Mated to a 6-speed e-gear automatic transmission, that allows the lightweight monster to go from 0-62 mph in just 3.4 seconds, 0 to 124 mph in 10.2 seconds and allows it to keep going up to a top speed of 202 mph.
Not that many enthusiasts would care but the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera is also considerably more efficient – compared with its base model. The Superleggera model averages a fuel-economy of 13 mpg.
Commodities: Mixed. Oil is down 1.2% to $78.71 a barrel. Gold is down slightly to $1118.20 an ounce; same with silver, which is down $0.06 to $16.47 an ounce.
Losers here are cocoa, soybean meal, lumber, and sugar, which are all posting multiple percentage drops.
Lamborghini Gallardo L 570-4 Superleggera – Click above for high-res image gallery
In case you hadn’t noticed, the 2010 Geneva Motor Show is about to start and one of the big debuts on day one will be this, the 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera. It’s the first successor to the original Gallardo Superleggera (“superlight” in Italian) that debuted in 2007 and will sit atop the Gallardo range as the little Lambo to beat.
Just like the first car, the new 570-4 Superleggera is 70 kilograms, or 154 lbs, lighter than the Gallardo below it, in this case the LP 560-4. Its dry weight is just 2,954 lbs, which itself is far below the last superlight Gallardo at 3,153 lbs. Whereas that car was powered by 5.0 liters of V10 fury producing 530 horsepower, the new 570-4 model is propelled by a direct-injected 5.2-liter V10 of the same origin making its namesake 570 hp. Add the lighter weight to the increased power and you get a 0-62 mile per hour time of 3.4 seconds and top speed of 202 mph.
Lots of carbon fiber help make the light weight possible, while 19-inch forged aluminum wheels wearing Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber, optional carbon ceramic disc brakes, permanent all-wheel drive (hence the “-4” in its name) and a six-speed e-gear transmission round out the supporting cast of performance hardware.
Follow the jump for Lamborghini’s complete (and extremely exhaustive) press release and stay tuned tomorrow for our first live pics of the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera from the show floor.
This morning during his big chit-chat on CNBC, during the “rapid fire” portion of the interview, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) CEO Warren Buffett was asked: What currency would he buy if he had to convert all of his dollars into a foreign currency.
His answer: The Swiss Franch (CHF).
Becky Quick asked him to explain, but he didn’t really answer, noting that all currency bets were somewhat dicey, but that really, you’re betting on the stability of the people in government.
So Buffett likes the stability he sees in the Swiss government.
But what’s really interesting is that the first rapid-fire question he was asked had to do with currency. Think about that for a second. Hearing Warren Buffett talk about stocks (like Coke or Moody’s or whatever else) is kind of a snooze at this point. But currency! Now that’s some exciting stuff. Suddenly, conservative Warren Buffett is talking about something that will really get the stay-at-home speculator jazzed.
This dovetails nicely with Bill Gross’ comments about the “unibond” market — a market whereby the government has taken over industry, and thus government instruments (bonds, currencies, etc.) will trade like the private sector assets they’ve guaranteed.
Anyway, we see it here too. Readers are rarely as interested in individual stocks as they are in currency moves.
Seriously, just watch the beginning of this clip where he talks currency. It’s hot.
With NBC Universal already under a fair amount of scrutiny by the Senate, as it seeks to merge with Comcast, it seems that it’s antiquated broadcast schedule of the recent Olympics isn’t helping matters. Senator Herb Kohl apparently sent a letter to NBC Universal boss Jeff Zucker, asking him to explain why NBC Universal’s Olympic coverage was so incredibly lame. More specifically, he questioned if NBC’s incredibly restrictive online Olympics video (much more restricted than two years ago at the Beijing summer Olympics) is a preview of “what is to come with respect to TV programming shown on the Internet.”
While it may be a bit of a stretch to connect the two, it does seem like particularly poor timing and bad strategy by NBC Universal officials. Just as they’re trying to convince the Senate (and others) that of course their content will be widely available in a post-merger world, they thought it would make sense to massively restrict the content shown during the Olympics — including requiring viewers to first prove they had cable TV access from certain cable providers? And no one at NBC Universal thought that the loud complaints all over the internet about the ridiculous process and restrictions might wake up someone in the Senate?
FoMoCo announced today that it will debut the new 2012 Ford Focus wagon at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show tomorrow, the fifth of at least ten vehicles from Ford’s new global C-car portfolio. So far, the lineup consists of the Ford C-MAX, Grand C-MAX, the new 2012 Ford Focus sedan and 5-door hatch.
Ford said that the new Focus wagon variant will account for more than one third of total Focus sales in Europe. The 5-door hatchback is expected to generate about 60 percent of the sales.
The 2012 Ford Focus Wagon will go into production at the same time as the Ford Focus sedan and coupe; however, there are no plans to offer the Focus Wagon on the stateside as of yet.
Click through for the press release.
2012 Ford Focus Wagon:
Press Release:
GLOBAL NEXT-GENERATION FORD FOCUS RANGE GROWS WITH ELEGANT WAGON DEBUT AT GENEVA
* Next-generation global Ford Focus 5-door model makes European debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show; Global debut for attractive new wagon derivative
* European-developed Focus spearheads Ford’s new generation of global C-cars, and will be sold in more than 120 markets globally
* Focus wagon is the latest of at least ten vehicles from Ford’s new global C-car portfolio.
* A global performance version of new Focus using Ford EcoBoost engine technology is promised.
* New wagon derivative will account for more than one third of total Focus sales in Europe. Five-door share expected to reach around 60 per cent
* Stylish next-generation Focus range provides customers with class-leading new technologies and high levels of craftsmanship
* New Focus targets outstanding fuel economy, low CO2 and further advances in acclaimed levels of driving quality
* European and North American production starts simultaneously in late 2010 and go on sale from early 2011. Asia, Africa and South America production to follow
Geneva, March 2, 2010 – The stylish next-generation Ford Focus wagon makes its global debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show alongside the sporty Focus 5-door, appearing for the first time in Europe.
The next-generation Focus wagon is the fifth vehicle to be revealed from Ford Motor Company’s new global C-segment platform that will underpin at least ten vehicles around the world and account for two million units of annual production by 2012.
Revealed so far are the new Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX models at Frankfurt 2009, the next-generation Focus 4-door and 5-door cars at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, and now the wagon at Geneva.
“Our next generation of C-cars shows how Ford is using its global resources to develop at least ten new models or derivatives from the same platform globally,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Product development. “The Focus wagon is the next model to be revealed, and is particularly significant for the European market as more than a third of our C-car customers here prefer a wagon bodystyle.”
At Geneva, Ford is also confirming that a global performance vehicle will be developed as part of the next-generation Focus range, and that it will be powered by a version of the 4-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engine family.
“We want to reassure enthusiasts of Focus performance models that we have a plan for them as well,” Kuzak added. “Our commitment is to deliver an exciting performance model of the new Focus on a global basis and using a version of our advanced new Ford EcoBoost petrol direct-injection turbo engine. We’re not ready to reveal more details yet, but we recognise how important this model will be in the Focus line-up, particularly for customers in Europe.”
Further details of the entire portfolio of new models based on Ford’s global C-car platform will be revealed soon, with all of them coming into the company’s line-up around the world by the end of 2012.
Focus Wagon Targets Major Customer Base
The attractive next-generation Ford Focus wagon is a crucial model for the European market in particular, as around one third of all Focus customers choose this bodystyle. In some markets, such as Italy and Germany, the wagon derivative represents more than half of all Ford Focus cars sold.
“A key strength of the Ford Focus range in Europe has always been its wagon, and its popularity is second only to the five-door,” said John Fleming, Ford of Europe Chairman and CEO. “These customers want the extra space and flexibility a traditional wagon provides, yet they still expect all of the technology, great driving dynamics, and superb styling. We believe the new Focus wagon will more than satisfy their requirements in every way.”
With its rakish appearance, the new Focus wagon also makes a design statement and provides the ideal balance of dynamic looks and functional practicality. Full-length integrated roof rails enhance the wagon’s attractive kinetic design, while the tailgate has a self-closing function and neatly incorporates a compact roof spoiler.
Overall, the C-car segment in Europe remains relatively stable and accounts for around a third of total car sales with roughly five million C-cars sold annually. Although many premium manufacturers have also moved into the segment in recent years, it is among the volume makers that the competition is most fierce.
The market has seen significant fragmentation in the last decade thanks to the development of new bodystyle derivatives beyond the traditional four-door sedan, five-door hatchback and wagon models.
By 2012, six bodystyles will cover 85 per cent of customer requirements in the segment in Europe – the four-door sedan, the five-door hatch, the wagon, the five-passenger MAV, seven-passenger MAV and the small SUV.
“As the segment develops around the world, we see clear preferences among customers for the six main bodystyles, with variations by region and even within a region,” Kuzak said. “For example, the preferred bodystyle in China and Russia is the four-door sedan, while in Britain and Spain the five-door is most popular and we believe there is also a customer trend towards five-door small cars in North America.
“This is driving our global C-segment strategy and we are concentrating our efforts around the world on meeting the expectations of buyers for these six key bodystyles,” Kuzak noted.
While the Focus wagon will initially launch only in Europe, it has been designed to share the wide range of technologies, fuel efficient powertrains, great driving quality and high levels of craftsmanship that all of Ford’s new global C-cars will deliver.
The Focus wagon debuts in the same vibrant Candy Red body colour which was first shown to great acclaim on the new Focus five-door model unveiled at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit in January.
The five-door Focus model for Geneva is finished in a warm and modern Hot Mustard – a contemporary, dark metallic yellow colour.
“As with all of the models in our new global C-platform portfolio, there is scope to offer this dynamic wagon additionally in other markets around the world, provided the business case and customer demand exist,” said John Fleming. “We see this as an integral part of our global next-generation Focus line-up, and we’re eager to hear the reaction to what we believe is a very stylish and distinctive car.”
At the annual TED conference in Long Beach, California, Bill Gates delivered a stirring speech in which he argued that energy innovation is the key to addressing climate change. During his speech, the billionaire businessman and philanthropist unveiled his vision for how the world can reduce carbon emissions to zero and pleaded “that we have to drive full speed” toward achieving this goal. “Until we get to zero [carbon emissions], the temperature of the planet will continue to rise,” said Gates, “so we need to get to zero.”
To explain his reasoning for focusing on reducing the carbon intensity of our energy production rather than improving energy efficiency, Gates relied on the “Kaya Identity” equation:
CO2 = P x S x E x C
(# of people) (services per person) (energy per service) (carbon per unit energy)
In order for us to achieve zero carbon emissions and stop global warming, “one of these numbers must get to zero.” The Earth’s population will continue to grow until it reaches its carrying capacity. The global population is expected to hit nine billion by 2050. Services per person will also continue to increase over time. “Getting rid of poverty means providing these services. It’s a great thing for this number to go up.”
“Efficiency, E, the energy for each service – here, finally, we have some good news. We have something that is not going up because of various inventions and new ways of doing lighting, through different types of cars, different ways of creating buildings. There are a lot of services where you can bring the energy for that service down quite substantially; some individual services can be reduced by as much as 90 percent. There are other services like how we make fertilizer or how we do air transport where the room for improvement is far, far less. If we are optimistic, we may get a reduction of a factor of three or even perhaps a factor of six. But for these first three factors, we have gone from 26 billion [tons of CO2] to at best maybe 13 billion tons. And that just won’t cut it.”
Gates argued that we will never be able to achieve perfect energy efficiency, so improvement in this area will never eliminate the problem of global warming. Instead, the solution must come from developing new carbon-neutral energy sources. “We need solutions, either one or several, that have unbelievable scale and unbelievable reliability. I really only see five [technologies] that can achieve the big numbers”: carbon capture and storage (CCS), nuclear, wind, solar photovoltaic, and solar thermal.
“They all have significant challenges. We are going to have to work on each of these five, and we can’t give up any of them because they look daunting.” He said that we need hundreds of companies working on research and development to solve the problems associated with each, and that current investment in such research is lagging.
Gates closed by describing a new nuclear technology that he is backing, called TerraPower. “The idea of TerraPower is that, instead of burning a part of uranium, the one percent, which is the U235, we decided let’s burn the 99 percent, the U238. It is kind of a crazy idea. In fact, people had talked about it for a long time, but they could never simulate properly whether it would work or not. So, it’s through the advent of modern supercomputers that you can now simulate and see that, yes, with the right material’s approach, this looks like it would work. It breathes this uranium as it goes along. So it’s kind of like a candle often referred to as a traveling wave reactor. In terms of fuel, this really solves the problem. You actually burn up the waste, and you can actually use as fuel all the leftover waste from today’s reactors. That would power the U.S. for hundreds of years.”
While most environmental advocates applaud Gates’ speech for raising awareness on the issue of climate change and advocating carbon-neutral sources of energy, critics are questioning whether his approach to this problem is too narrow-minded. World Changing wrote, “The biggest flaw is that the Gates Climate Equation could lead to carbon blindness, a self-defeating willingness to destroy critical environmental systems in the name of saving the planet from climate change. Climate is not the only absolutely vital planetary boundary we’re straining. The biosphere transcends the climate crisis. Logging our forests, over-burdening our oceans, converting land for agriculture and grazing, all these are huge contributors to our climate problem, and restoring the capacities of natural systems to absorb carbon dioxide is a critical part of the solution. The answer to the problem of cars and automotive emissions, for instance, isn’t designing a better car; it’s designing a better city.”
Others have argued that our focus should be on technology deployment, not research and development. Climate Progress wrote, “The technologies we have today, plus a few that are on the verge of being commercialized, can provide the needed low-carbon energy. Breaking down the barriers to their deployment now is much, much more important than developing new ‘breakthrough’ efficient TILTs [Terrific Imaginary Low-carbon Technology], since those would simply fail in the marketplace because of the same barriers.”
Backers of the deployment approach seek policy interventions to raise the price of high-carbon energy (presumably through a tax or cap & trade system) while simultaneously subsidizing low-carbon energy sources. This, in theory, would help low-carbon energy sources gain market share and speed up their movement along the learning curve.
The ISM report provides some hints for the BLS report later this week, but it is important to remember that manufacturing employment is a small percentage of the overall work force.
ISM’s Employment Index registered 56.1 percent in February, which is 2.8 percentage points higher than the seasonally adjusted 53.3 percent reported in January. This is the third month of growth in manufacturing employment, and the highest reading since January 2005 (58.7 percent). An Employment Index above 49.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.
The following graph shows the ISM Manufacturing Employment Index vs. the BLS reported monthly change in manufacturing employment (as a percent of manufacturing employment).
Click on graph for larger image in new window.
The graph includes data from 1948 through 2009. The earlier period (1948 – 1988) is in red, and the last 20 years is in blue.
Clearly the ISM employment index is related to changes in BLS employment, however the relationship is noisy, and it appears a reading above 51.5 for the ISM employment index is consistent with an increase in the BLS data for manufacturing.
Although there is significant variability, the current level of 56.1 percent in February suggests around a 22,000 gain for manufacturing jobs.
Authorities say a Chicago-bound Amtrak train with at least 76 people aboard struck a fire truck that was stopped on the tracks in southwest Detroit today, causing minor injuries to several people.
Executive Fire Commissioner James Mack said the $600,000 ladder truck was hit as the driver tried to move it this morning. He said the truck and a police car were there helping a family involved in an earlier crash.
Mack said a firefighter had minor injuries.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari in Chicago said 72 passengers and at least four crew members were aboard the train. He says several people sought treatment for minor injuries.
Magliari says buses are taking the westbound passengers to their stops.
CHICAGO (AP) – Mayor Richard Daley says he’s optimistic Chicago will prevail against what he calls the gun industry’s challenge to the city’s handgun laws.
He spoke at a news conference Monday, a day before the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on the constitutionality of Chicago’s handgun ban.
Daley says cities and states should be able to decide how best to protect their citizens. He fears the case before the Supreme Court could cause needless legal challenges to other laws nationwide.
Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis attended the same news conference.
He says his biggest concern if Chicago laws are struck down is the threat his officers could face every time they respond to a domestic disturbance.
Here you go, have your cake and eat it too. Porsche is looking to prove that the best of both worlds don’t have to be mutually exclusive with the 918 Spyder concept scheduled to debut tomorrow at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Looking a bit like a Carrera GT evolved, the 918 Spyder is powered by both a 500-horsepower V8 and a pair of electric motors (one for each axle) producing an additional 218 hp or 160kW. At full gallop, the concept can theoretically reach 62 mph in 3.2 seconds and nip 198 mph on the high end. On the flip side, Porsche says it can also achieve 78 miles per gallon and emit just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
How does a supercar have such range? Well, the 918 Spyder concept is a parallel hybrid just like your mom’s Prius (well not just like). That means the two powertrains, gas and electric, can operate together or separately to motivate the wheels into motion. There are no less than four modes that configure the powertrains for anything from maximum efficiency to maximum performance and everything in between. The E-Drive mode means pure electric power, and the car can reportedly last up to 16 miles on electrons alone. Next up is Hybrid mode, which is just what it sounds like and would probably be the mode for everyday around town driving. The Sport Hybrid mode again uses both powertrains, but tips the needle a bit more towards performance with most power reaching the rear wheels. Finally, the Race Hybrid mode means all systems are go for the lowest lap times possible (Porsche says it can do the Nordschleife in less than 7:30 minutes). There’s an even a push-to-pass button (if only it were that easy) that adds a bit of E-boost on the straights and, of course, regenerative braking is present and accounted for.
Lastly, take a good look at the interior because Porsche says it offers a glimpse at future interiors from the automaker. Sounds good enough to buy so far, right? Too bad, because it’s just a concept. We’ll bring you live shots of the 918 Spyder concept tomorrow after it debuts in Geneva, so sit tight.
Three teenagers are charged with pilfering a 4-foot-tall plastic Simon the Chipmunk statue from Marcus Gurnee Cinema last month, authorities announced today.
Another chipmunk, Theodore, could have met the same fate as Simon. However, Gurnee police investigators said they used a social networking site to gain information and foil in advance a plot by the same teens to grab Theodore from the theater.
Eric Pasiewicz and Ryan Sibley, both 18 and of Beach Park, were charged with theft under a local ordinance. Also charged was a 16-year-old Beach Park boy, authorities said.
Cmdr. Jay Patrick said about 15 to 20 teens were departing the Gurnee Mills theater simultaneously when Simon was snatched in the late evening Feb. 11. Several teens were involved in moving the figurine through the doors and to a waiting car, he said.
Patrick said the incident was captured on the theater’s surveillance video, and a tip to police led to the suspects’ identities. Simon was recovered at the Beach Park home of one of the suspects Feb. 16.
Simon is back “safe and sound” at the theater, Patrick said.
During the investigation, police working an online social networking site found the information that Theodore was being targeted Feb. 17.
Simon and Theodore were among three figurines in the Gurnee Mills theater representing the cartoon stars of “Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel.” No known plots against Alvin were reported by police.
Police said the chipmunk statues are worth $300 to $400 apiece. Police said the probe of the Simon theft wrapped up Feb. 26, culminating with today’s announcement of charges lodged against the teens.
CONCEPCION, Chile — Rescuers found signs of life in the wreckage of a 15-story building Monday as the world offered aid to victims of an earthquake that killed more than 700 people. Troops and police arrested dozens of people for violating a curfew designed to prevent looting.
The toll of dead rose to 723, with 19 others missing, the National Emergency Office announced, in a magnitude-8.8 quake that President Michelle Bachelet called “an emergency without parallel in Chile’s history.”
Some coastal towns were almost obliterated — first shaken by the quake, then slammed by a tsunami that carried whole houses inland and crushed others into piles of sticks. Shocked survivors were left without power, water or food.
In Concepcion, the biggest city near the epicenter, rescuers heard the knock of trapped victims inside a toppled 70-unit apartment building and began to drill through thick walls to reach them, said fire department Commander Juan Carlos Subercaseux.
Only the chop of military helicopters flying overhead broke the silence demanded by rescuers straining to hear signs of life inside the building.
Firefighters had already pulled 25 survivors and eight bodies from the structure.
Mayor Jacqueline van Rysselberghe told Radio Cooperativa that some food aid was arriving in the city of 200,000 Monday for distribution to the hungry. Electricity was still out, however, and water was scarce.
Concepcion police chief Eliecer Soler said officers arrested 55 people for violating a curfew imposed after looters sacked nearly every market in town. Troops ordered into the city by Bachelet patrolled to enforce security. A few looters re-emerged to rob a market on Monday.
Spanish professor Eduardo Aundez watched with disgust as a soldier patiently waited for looters to rummage through a downtown store, then lobbed two tear gas canisters into the rubble to get them out.
“I feel abandoned” by authorities, he said. “We believe the government didn’t take the necessary measures in time, and now supplies of food and water are going to be much more complicated.”
The U.N. said Monday that it would rush aid deliveries to Chile after Bachelet appealed for international aid. U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said Chile was seeking temporary bridges, field hospitals, satellite phones, electric generators, damage assessment teams, water purification systems, field kitchens and dialysis centers.
“We are prepared to provide assistance,” Byrs told The Associated Press in Geneva. “It could be quite fast, given that our experts are on standby and were alerted in the region.”
The World Health Organization said it expected the death toll to rise in the coming days as communications improve. For survivors, it said access to health services will be a major challenge and noted that indigenous people living in adobe homes were most at risk from heavily damaged infrastructure.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also offered to provide disaster aid. Traveling in Uruguay, Clinton said she would bring some communications equipment when she visits Chile on Tuesday.
Argentina said it was sending six aircraft loaded with a field hospital, 55 doctors and water treatment plants.
Bachelet ordered troops to help deliver food, water and blankets and clear rubble from roads, and she urged power companies to restore service first to hospitals, health clinics and shelters. Field hospitals were planned for hard-hit Concepcion, Talca and Curico.
Bachelet also ordered authorities to quickly identify the dead and return them to their families to ensure “the dignified burials that they deserve.”
Defense Minister Francisco Vidal acknowledged the navy made a mistake by not immediately activating a tsunami warning after the quake hit before dawn Saturday. Port captains in several coastal towns did, saving what Vidal called hundreds of lives.
Thirty minutes passed between the quake and a wave that inundated coastal towns, leaving behind sticks, scraps of metal and masonry houses ripped in two. A beachside carnival in the village of Lloca was swamped in the tsunami. A carousel was twisted on its side and a Ferris wheel rose above the muddy wreckage.
Officials said at least eight people died and eight were missing on Robinson Crusoe Island, where it the tsunami drove the sea almost 2 miles (3 kilometers) into the town of San Juan Bautista.
Efforts to determine the full scope of destruction were undermined by an endless string of terrifying aftershocks that turned more buildings into rubble — and forced thousands to set up tents in parks and grassy highway medians.
“If you’re inside your house, the furniture moves,” said Monica Aviles, pulling a shawl around her shoulders to ward off the cold as she sat next to a fire across the street from her apartment building.
As if to punctuate her fear, an aftershock set off shuddering and groaning sounds for blocks around.
It’s been 21 years since Infiniti started selling vehicles in the United States. While at first they were known to be selling rebadged Nissans (Infiniti’s parent company) at a premium price, Infiniti has grown-up and evolved into its own luxury brand with global operations that include more than 230 dealers in 15 countries. Infiniti also gives its competitors, including BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, something to worry about; this was most apparent with the 2003 introduction of the G35, when Infiniti swore that it would never take its eyes off of BMW.
Infiniti’s sales continued to rise and its reputation grew stronger as Carlos Ghosn made it his goal to break the company away from its Nissan roots; a move seen by many as Infiniti taking on the role of “Japan’s BMW”. That role was firmly built upon the 2006 model year M35 and M45 sedans, engineered and designed to compete head-on with the BMW 5-Series.
For 2011, the M’s have undergone their first major re-design and engineering since their inception in 2006 – and we feel confident in saying that the all-new 2011 Infiniti M37 and M56, will have the competition seriously concerned about losing market-share.
Last week we went out to beautiful Southern California to spend a few hours test-driving the all-new M37 and M56; here is our first impression of the ‘Japanese BMW.’
Hit the jump to read more and to view the high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).
First Drive: 2011 Infiniti M37 / 2011 Infiniti M56:
With styling inspired by the Infiniti Essence concept, the 2011 Infiniti M gets a redesigned body with sportier proportions, a low front end, and deeply sculpted fenders. The folks at Infiniti made it a specific point to draw attention to the fact that the new M has better overall proportions, being lower and wider, offering a more aggressive stance with its long hood and short deck. While those changes will be apparent to car enthusiasts, the average car shopper will notice the more-obvious things like: new headlamps and tail lights, a new low-slung grille that has become Infiniti’s new signature as it is featured on many of its models, and of course, the more aggressive stance.
Inside, the new M’s remain pure Infiniti, with their upgraded, Japanese-influenced design. Even though interior volume of the new M (103.6 cubic feet) has been reduced by 1.6 cubic feet, the sedan still offers best in-class interior room and cargo space. For the 2011 model year, Infiniti used specially selected materials throughout the interior including new wood trims, new switches and a welcome lighting system that provide for one of the most luxurious interiors in its class.
All 2011 M’s come standard with a number of options including:
7-speed automatic with Infiniti Drive Mode Selector – four selectable modes (Eco, Standard, Sport, Snow) adjust throttle sensitivity and transmission shift points to optimize performance or fuel-economy.
Power folding outside mirrors.
Enhanced Intelligent Key memory – now includes memory function for audio, navigation and climate control settings, in addition to seat, steering wheel and side view mirror.
Bi-Xenon Headlights.
RearView Monitor.
Active Noise Control – generates sound waves which help to reduce undesirable low-frequency engine sounds in the cabin.
USB port for iPod.
No matter your needs or tastes, there is an options package out there the suits everyone. The $3,350 Premium Package (standard on the M56, optional on the M37) adds navigation with 8-inch VGA color touch screen, heated/cooled front seats and a Bose 10 speaker 2-channel audio system. The Deluxe Touring Package adds an upgraded Bose Studio Surround System, Forest Air climate control system, and power rear sunshade. The Technology Package adds Intelligent Cruise Control with Distance Control Assist, Intelligent Brake Assist, Blind Spot Intervention, Active Trace Control, Eco Pedal and Adaptive Front Lighting System.
For 2011, the Infiniti M lineup starts with the M37 powered by a 3.7L DOHC VVEL V6 making 330-hp and putting out 270 lb-ft of torque, providing for 27 more hp and 8 lb-ft of torque than the previous generation. Even with the power increase, there comes a modest boost in fuel-economy; the M37 gets an EPA estimated 18/26 mpg (city/highway), while the M37x gets an EPA estimated 17/24 mpg. The M56 gets a brand new 5.6L DOHC VVEL Direct-Injected V8 engine that puts out 420-hp with a maximum torque of 417 lb-ft, providing for and increase of 95-hp and 81 lb-ft over the outgoing M45. EPA estimated fuel-economy comes in at 16/25 mpg for the M56 and 16/23 mpg for the M56x.
Both engines come mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission with Downshift Rev Matching, Adaptive Shift Control and available magnesium paddle shifters. All 2011 Infiniti M models come standard with four selectable drive modes including Normal, Eco (optimizes settings for better fuel-economy), Sport (changes shift points for better performance) and Snow (modulates throttle to limit wheel spin). Those vehicles outfitted with the Technology Package also feature an Eco Pedal feature, which promotes fuel-efficiect driving by pushing back on the pedal if you’re behaving badly. Infiniti claims the feature to increase fuel-efficiency anywhere between 5% and 10%.
While on the topic of fuel-efficiency we’d like to point out that Infiniti will also offer a hybrid version of the M, the M35 Hybrid, as a 2012 model year vehicle. The hybrid system will consist of a single electric-motor/twin-clutch arrangement, mated to a 3.5L V6 unit. Infiniti says that the M35 Hybrid, which will carry a lithium-ion battery pack, has the ability to run on electric-power under certain driving conditions.
Overall, the 2011 Infiniti M37 and M56 are a huge improvement over the outgoing model in terms of design, engineering, performance and overall luxury appeal. Prices start at $46,250 for the 2011 Infiniti M37 and $48,400 for the M37x. The range-topping 2011 M56 starts at $57,550, while the all-wheel-drive M56x starts at $60,050. While that might be a modest increase over the outgoing Infiniti M, it’s still very competitive with rivals including the $45,600 Lexus GS, $45,950 BMW 5-Series (2011 model due out in spring), $48,600 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the $45,200 Audi A6.
Sales of the 2011 Infiniti M37 and 2011 M56 kick off later this month, so make sure you put it on your list of cars to test-drive if you’re shopping in the mid-size sedan segment.
First Drive: 2011 Infiniti M37 / 2011 Infiniti M56:
BMW continues its new Joy campaign with this latest commercial where a middle-school student teaches the class about how there is not contradiction between efficiency and dynamics.
BMW even threw in a little shot at Audi with a kid in the classroom wearing an Audi hat listening attentively as the BMW kid explains how efficiency and dynamics can coexist. Guess it’s BMW comeback for the recent Audi commercials shown during the 2010 Winter Olympics where Audi took continuous shots at the brand.
Sometimes you come across stories that are more bizarre than you could possibly imagine. The Hollywood Reporter points us to the news that the Catholic Church of Brazil is suing Columbia Pictures, claiming copyright infringement in last year’s blockbuster 2012, because the movie depicts a famous statue of Jesus being destroyed. Brazil allows copyright on sculptures for life, plus seventy years, and the guy who made the statue (now a huge tourist attraction in Rio) died in 1961, meaning that the statue is still under copyright — and the archdiocese claims to hold the copyright. It apparently turned down Columbia Pictures request to use it in the movie 2012 because the people there didn’t like the idea of seeing the statue destroyed.
Columbia Pictures still showed the statue getting destroyed — and claims that it did get the proper permission… but from the estate of the sculptor, rather than the church. Apparently, everyone’s negotiating this out, and the Church says it wants the movie studio to admit it “meant no offense.” Of course, I’m sure the studio meant no offense, but it does make you wonder, yet again, why copyright law should prevent a statue from being shown in a movie. Not that Hollywood tends to be a big fan of fair use, but you would think that it would have a pretty strong claim to the idea that, even if the statue is covered by copyright, this particular use was not infringing.
A GameStop promo for Brink recently proclaimed a September 7 US launch for the Splash Damage-developed FPS. Publisher Bethesda, however, has said that that’s not entirely accurate.
