The CarGurus Blog

I'll take mine in a hybrid, please

I’m ready for some good automotive news.

The Toyota debacle, while fascinating and worthy of all the coverage it’s getting, is far from exciting and fun.

Cars Coming Soon, on the other hand, is exciting and fun. Even for minivan and hybrid lovers.

Check it out:

Hybrid Ferrari 599

See? I told you hybrids can be fun. If the new Honda CR-Z isn’t quite pushing your performance buttons, this should. Wired’s Autopia blog says Ferrari’s system:

uses a V12 engine up front with an electric motor at the rear transaxle and a lithium-ion battery. In addition to an added boost in power, the system provides the car with a start-stop function and regenerative braking. It reportedly delivers a 35 percent improvement in fuel economy.

There will be two schools of thought here, one that says this is a slap in the face to Ferrari’s past, and one that believes that, but orders one anyway, because it’s so freakin’ cool.

Honda Odyssey Concept

As a family guy, I think there’s something about a minivan that is secretly cool. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t own one, but the lure is sometimes great. I expect the coolness factor will increase when Honda debuts its all-new Odyssey concept at the Chicago Auto Show. I’m expecting greatness, at least based on the Skydeck concept shown above from the Tokyo Motor Show. Will the Odyssey look something like this? Maybe!

Entry-level Porsche roadster

Here’s another one that will have purists throwing fits. An entry-level Porsche? Isn’t that a Volkswagen? Nope. Well, at least not according to Autocar, which says:

Dubbed by some insiders as the “new 356”, the mid-engined machine will not, however, be a bargain basement model, despite initial rumours to the contrary. Given the final green light, it would cost from about £33,000 in today’s money.

That’s almost $46K in U.S. dollars, but isn’t necessarily what it would cost here.

The new Porsche, which some are calling a baby Boxster, would share the steel and aluminium platform that’s being developed by Audi for its R4 mid-engined sports car, but of course have its own styling and, how cool is this, a forced-induction flat four engine. Hello, fuel economy!

New Saab 9-5

It’s hard for me to get excited about the new 9-5, especially considering it’s still based on GM architecture and looks like an Impala. But Saab has its fans, and this is sure to please them. It should be available later this year.

Cadillac ATS

Caddy has its competition to the BMW 5 Series with the CTS, but doesn’t have a direct competitor the to Bavarian 3 Series. Enter the ATS, which should be offered as a sedan, coupe, convertible, and wagon. Also, since Cadillac recently announced that all models will have an uplevel version, we can expect a V-Series as well.

Volkswagen R performance division

So we’ll have entry-level Porcshes and performance-driven Volkswagens. Looks like the two brands are inching ever closer together! In the same way BMW has the M series, VW is entering the performance game with R-branded cars. In the States, expect a Golf-R and Jetta-R. Official announcements are expected at the Geneva Auto Show. We can’t wait!

Which would you rather buy: an entry-level Porsche or a performance Volkswagen?

-tgriffith

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