Author: Steve Siler

Although the impressive Opel Insignia/Buick Regal is offered around the world in no fewer than three body styles (sedan, five-door hatch, and wagon), with nine engines (four gas four-cylinder, three 1.8-liter diesel fours, and naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions of its 2.8-liter V-6), with front- or all-wheel drive, and a choice of three transmissions, here in Buick’s home market, just how many of those permutations we’ll get remains a mystery.

In the States, of course, we’re used to being denied most of the choices offered in “world cars” such as the Regal; At this point, the only way we can get our Regal on is with the sedan body and front-wheel drive, with the 2.4-liter four available first, the 2.0-liter turbo later, and, in 2011, the GS with a 255-hp version of the 2.0-liter turbo four mated to all-wheel drive. Manual gearboxes will also be part of the mix eventually.

Happily, according to GM’s Regal guru, Jim Federico, we are pretty well assured to get even more. First, in terms of additional body styles, it sounds like we’re going to get at least one, if not both, of the other Regal shapes, with the hatchback being the easiest to bring over from an engineering standpoint and the wagon being slightly more complex to federalize due to its Audi Q5–esque wraparound tailgate, but it’s hardly impossible. We’ve recently spied Buick-badged Insignia Tourers in Michigan, something Federico willingly acknowledges. “I’ve got a bunch of ‘em,” he said. Should either additional body make it stateside, the cars would come from GM’s German plant due to the low volumes they’d expect to build. (North American Regal sedan production is shifting from Germany to a plant in Ontario soon.) “We designed flexibility into the [Russelsheim] plant specifically for that,” he said.

Federico also suggested that, since wagons sell particularly well in the Snowbelt, that version would pretty much have to come with all-wheel drive. And since many wagon buyers also love diesel engines—Americans order a predominate number of their Jetta SportWagens with the TDI engine—Federico says one of the Insignia’s diesel fours would definitely be offered, though not until the motor is engineered to meet the strict new Euro 6 emissions regulations in 2012 or 2013. The required changes, which could include an exhaust-scrubbing urea-injection system, would in turn allow the motor to meet emissions standards in all 50 U.S. states.

As for something more, uh, stirring? Federico suggested that we shouldn’t be at all surprised to see the hallowed Grand National nameplate make a comeback sometime in the future, although he wouldn’t provide any more specifics. Don’t expect it soon, however. Buick has a lot on its plate, with an upcoming compact SUV and a Cruze-based sedan also in the works. “We’ve got a plan to move fast,” said Federico, “but carefully.”

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The latest company to tease wagon-lovers (that includes all members of the Car and Driver staff—it’s in our contracts) is, of all companies, Bentley. And no, we’re not talking about the Continental-based Flying Star wagonette (above) that debuted at this year’s Geneva show and was subsequently made available to interested parties by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. While chatting with Stuart McCullough, VW Board Member in charge of Bentley, at the launch of the company’s new 2011 Mulsanne flagship, the subject of new models came up. We discussed the possibility of even more derivatives of the Continental such as the Flying Star, and he stated that the idea of a shooting brake (car-speak for two-door wagon) Bentley is not at all out of the question.

“We have an idea in the back of our minds that we may yet bring to market,” McCullough said. Furthermore, he told us that the design that’s been kicking around for a little while goes “a lot further” than the Touring-built concept, and would be entirely Bentley from conception to assembly. Yeah, we like the idea too.

Don’t get too excited, though. The Continental is nearing the end of its life span and it is unlikely that Bentley would be able to make a business case to develop, verify, and source materials for a ninth Continental model (yes, there are currently no fewer than eight Conti models on the market). It is far more likely that Bentley would use its resources to develop more derivatives of the aforementioned Mulsanne, such as a convertible and a coupe. And even if they were to build a wagon, it would be a shock to see it offered here. As C/D executive online editor Erik Johnson said to me upon hearing of Mercedes-Benz’s decision to build the Shooting Break concept just as BMW stated that it would not offer the gorgeous new 2011 5-Series wagon in America, “It seems that whenever a new wagon appears, another one goes away.” In other words, we’re used to being disappointed and we expect that McCullough’s little morsel will never see the light of day on our side of the pond. But we’d be happy to be proven wrong.

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California-based Aptera has been teasing us for upwards of two years now with images and even a prototype test-drive of its two-seat, teardrop-shaped 2e. (Some of us think the teardrop resembles a few other things, too—particularly in white—but we shant go there.) While the overall form has remained pretty consistent, the details have changed numerous times in the interests of safety, comfort, and engineering. At an airplane hanger in Carlsbad, California, Aptera rolled out what it claims is the final final design. The company says it will begin production in the spring of 2011.

Back in December, we got official images of the refined machine, and seeing it in the flesh brought few surprises. As we reported, the latest evolution brings a new hood, fender skirts, beefy new suspension arms, larger outside mirrors, roll-down windows, and a redesigned tail that features a crumple zone (as does the front). The target coefficient of drag is 0.15, and according to chief engineer Tom Reichenbach, the car has met and beat that target. Other important newly released details include a target weight of 1800 pounds (476 of which are accounted for by the 20-kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery pack) distributed roughly evenly between the three wheels.

Unlike the battery packs in many electric vehicles, which operate within a truncated state-of-charge range, never fully charging or discharging, the battery pack in the 2e is allowed to charge and deplete fully without risk of premature degradation, according to Aptera. We’ll go ahead and log our skepticism here. Either Aptera has the wrong approach to batteries, or everyone else in the world does.

The range estimates still call for 100 miles between charges. Aptera claims that the 2e’s rate of energy consumption is equal to 200 mpg, and will cost owners about 2 cents per mile. It also is said to have only half the well-to-wheels carbon footprint of the Toyota Prius.

Though the 2e is technically a trike—a classification that comes with a separate set of safety standards—Reichenbach states that he wants to meet all safety requirements that the government places on four-wheeled passenger cars. He cites the fitment of front and side (head and thorax) airbags, side-impact beams in the doors, and a roll hoop integrated into the composite body.

Aptera says that 90 percent of the 2e’s parts and pieces will come from domestic suppliers, and provided a detailed list of companies including Pratt & Miller and Continental Tires, as well as the New Jersey–based NRG utility company. NRG supplied Aptera with funding to keep it going until government assistance—some $184 million worth—gets approved. That is but one of the hurdles that Aptera must clear before production can begin, but if it does, Californians could start seeing Apteras on the roads in about a year, with distribution likely spreading to other regions in 2012.

Related posts:

1. 2011 Aptera 2e – Official Images
2. 2010 Aptera 2e – First Drive Review
3. Shocker . . . NOT! Ambitious Aptera Delays 2e Electric Car, Reduces Staff

According to Suzuki, the Kizashi sedan was conceived less to be a Camry alternative than an Alfa Romeo for the masses; we see it as more of a Jetta competitor, but we get where they’re coming from. Now, on the eve of the New York auto show, Suzuki has added fuel to the Kizashi’s fire in the form of the Kizashi Sport, a separate and slightly sportier version of the Kizashi sedan that will be available on GTS and SLS trim levels.

The Sport is blessed with a 0.4-inch-lower suspension, 18-inch wheels that are 2.5 pounds lighter, a sexier front fascia, side-sill extensions, and a rear spoiler. The interior has been touched up with contrasting stitching, a sport steering wheel, and a new shift knob/boot. Otherwise, the vehicle is unchanged. Still, Suzuki claims that the Kizashi Sport corners better than the standard car—0.93 g on the skidpad versus 0.89 g, according to Suzuki’s testing.

As for other future Kizashi variants, such as a V-6 version like the one we sampled on the press launch for the Kizashi last summer, the possibility is still there. However, if it ever happens, it will take some time; the car we drove was engineered for GM’s 3.6-liter V-6, and with the GM partnership on the outs and a VW partnership on the ins, a smaller but possibly more potent turbocharged motor is more likely. Until then, enthusiasts will have to settle for the Kizashi Sport, which goes on sale in August at prices of roughly $23K for the GTS and $25K for the SLS.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Suzuki Kizashi – Official Photos and Info
2. Suzuki Crams V-6 into Experimental Kizashi and—Surprise!—It’s Fun
3. 2010 Suzuki Kizashi – Short Take Road Test

Who will never, ever kill an electric car again? GM. Clearly having learned from the EV1 public-relations nightmare, GM proudly announced that it will “repurpose” most of the 119 surviving Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles it produced for its ambitious Project Driveway program as it develops its second-generation fuel-cell powertrains.

During the last three years, Project Driveway has placed hydrogen-fueled Equinoxes into the hands of real-world consumers and public agencies in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., for stints lasting from a few days to several months. (One even spent about a week in my own driveway.) Project Driveway participants have helped GM log a total of 1.2 million miles on its fleet of Equinox Fuel Cells, which would be a lot of laps around the General’s Milford proving grounds. Now, as these vehicles are handed back over to GM one by one, many of them are being fitted with various components and fuel/power management upgrades that GM hopes will make it into its much smaller, more efficient second-gen fuel cells, which it has shown in “production intent” form but are still a ways from actual production en masse.

Soon after receiving new vinyl tattoos covering half of their bodies, being stripped of all Equinox badging, and receiving their sundry powertrain updates, which will be made on a per-vehicle basis as new bits and programs are readied, the freshened vehicles (rechristened “Chevrolet Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles”) will find their way back into the driveways of real-world drivers in the three aforementioned regions. To kick off this new phase of Project Driveway, GM introduced biologist and committed environmentalist Stephanie White from West Los Angeles and handed her the keys to the first of the repurposed vehicles, to become her transportation companion for the next six months. GM declined to state which of the numerous powertrain updates were installed on White’s vehicle, but it did say that they are several upgrades away from being able to install the actual “production” second-gen fuel-cell powertrain, which is about half the size and roughly 60 percent of the mass of the original system, whilst being far less reliant on the expensive platinum used in the fuel-cell membranes.

While some might expect that GM would use the new and improved Equinox or some other current GM chassis to test out these various new technologies, using the old vehicles, boxy and inelegant as they may be (and which are rumored to have cost at least half a million bucks apiece), is a smart move. For starters, this represents recycling at the highest level and thus avoids the wrath of the enviro-nazis that crucified the wasteful ways of “Old GM” so viciously in the past. But more importantly for development purposes, the unchanged weight and aerodynamic properties of the host vehicles allows GM to gather apples-to-apples comparisons for each of the new bits they install. Kudos, GM, for being smart this time.

Related posts:

1. GM’s Fuel-Cell Program Soldiers On
2. Toyota Expands Fuel-Cell Program with 100 FCHV-adv Prototypes for U.S.
3. Pump It Up: We Refuel a Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle