Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 revealed

Chevrolet unveils the Camaro ZL1, a manic 550bhp muscle car with a supercharged V8 engine

Chevrolet has revealed the Camaro ZL1 at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. As the most powerful factory Camaro to see the light of day, the American muscle car borrows the Eaton-supercharged 6.2-litre V8 from the Cadillac CTS-V. 
 
With 550bhp on tap, the steroidal Camaro features heat resistant aluminium-alloy cylinder heads, and high strength pistons. Handling the extra power is a beefed up six-speed manual ‘box with a higher torque capacity, whilst a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel have been developed to make the shift action manageable. 
 
Brakes are suitably uprated to cope with the power increase, 370mm front discs gripped by Brembo six-pot calipers, and 365mm discs with four-pot calipers at the rear.

De Tomaso resurrected with SLC concept

Italian brand returns with luxury SLC crossover concept which debuts at Geneva Motor Show.

De Tomaso is back! The Italian luxury car manufacturer will rise from the ashes with the SLC – Sport Luxury Car – concept, which will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show.

Originally founded in 1959, De Tomaso has a somewhat chequered history of building sportscars and luxury saloons. Ultimately going into liquidation in 2004, the De Tomaso name and trademarks were bought up by former Fiat marketing man Gian Mario Rossignolo in 2009.

Backed by an investment group which has invested €116million (£98 million), he plans to relaunch the company with a new business plan, which was presented to the Italian government yesterday, that will see the firm build 8,000 cars per year including 3,000 of the Pininfarina-designed SLC that’s a rival for the BMW 5 Series GT. An SUV and a two-seater coupe are also planned.

The cars will be built at Pininfarina’s Grugliasco plant in Italy from 2012, and feature an innovative aluminium construction called Univis. One of De Tomaso’s original hallmarks was the use of an aluminium backbone chassis in its car’s construction. 

The SLC will get a new name at launch, and be offered with a choice of 296bhp V6 or 542bhp V8 petrol engines, or a 247bhp V6 diesel, powering all four wheels. Prices are set to start at around €85,000 (£71,000).

Ferrari to use full name of racecar after Ford sues over F150 name

Ferrari said today it will use the full name of its "Ferrari F150th Italia" Formula One car from now on after Ford Motor Co. sued the Italian automaker over the use of the abbreviation "F150."

Ferrari's F150 logo was too similar to Ford's F-150 pickup truck, part of the top-selling vehicle series in the United States, Ford said in a complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit.

As of noon local time, Ford said it had not yet received formal notification of Ferrari's plans.

"Ferrari has misappropriated the F-150 trademark in naming its new racing vehicle the 'F150' in order to capitalize on and profit from the substantial goodwill that Ford has developed in the F-150 trademark," Ford said in the complaint on Wednesday.

Ford asked the court to bar Ferrari from using the name and is also seeking unspecified damages, including damages of $100,000 under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.

Ferrari response

Ferrari hit back saying it was "very difficult to understand Ford's viewpoint on the matter" because the car for this season's F1 world championship was given the name to celebrate 150 years of Italian unity and is not commercially available.

“Ferrari believes that its own contender in the forthcoming F1 championship cannot be confused with other types of commercially available vehicle of any sort whatsoever, nor can it give the impression that there is a link to another brand of road-going vehicle," a statement said.

"Despite this and to further prove it is acting in good faith...Ferrari has decided to ensure that in all areas of operation, the abbreviated version will be replaced at all times with the full version, Ferrari F150th Italia."

Ford's rival Fiat SpA has an 85 percent stake in Ferrari, and management control of Chrysler Group LLC, in which it has a 25 percent stake.

In a statement issued earlier today before Ferrari's name-change announcement, Ford said it asked Ferrari to change the name of its F150 racecar.

“Ferrari did not respond in a timely manner, leaving Ford no choice but to take legal action to protect its important brand and trademark rights,” Ford said in a statement.

“Through extensive sales and advertising and exclusive use, Ford has earned invaluable goodwill in the F-150 trademark. That hard-won goodwill is seriously threatened by Ferrari's adoption of ‘F150.'”

Ford said it has used the F-150 name on its popular pickups since 1975. The automaker trademarked the moniker in 1995, according to the lawsuit. 

Since 1997, gross revenues on sales of the F-150 have exceeded $180 billion, the suit said.

Ferrari unveils 4wd Scaglietti replacement

Shooting brake-styled FF supercar to debut at Geneva show

Ferrari S.p.A. today released pictures of its first four-wheel-drive model, called FF (Ferrari Four).

The supercar will replace Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti flagship and will debut at the Geneva auto show in March.

The FF will be a crucial model for Ferrari because the company faces increasing competition from high-performance four-seat coupes such as the Bentley Continental GT/GTC and Aston Martin Rapide, as well as sporty coupes from Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Ferrari calls the FF a revolutionary model that offers “exceptional performance and versatility.” Like the 612 Scaglietti, it has four seats, but it will be powered by a new 660-hp, 6.3-liter V-12 direct-injection engine.

Despite having more horsepower than the 540-hp 5.75-liter Scaglietti, the FF will be more fuel efficient with CO2 emissions of 360 grams per kilometer, compared with the Scaglietti's CO2 emissions of 470g/km.

The FF will go on sale in Europe around May and in the United States in the autumn. Its price has not been announced but is expected to be above 250,000 euros in Europe

The FF has a 335kph top speed and accelerates from 0 to 100kph in just 3.7 seconds.
Pininfarina S.p.A. designed a shooting brake-style body for the FF, which has a station wagon-shaped tailgate that gives access to an extremely roomy cargo area of 450 liters, rising to 800 liters with the rear seats folded down.

Ferrari chose 4wd for the FF to improve safety and road holding and acceleration with the extra horsepower. With 660hp, the FF matches the output of the 2002 Enzo limited edition model and it will be the most powerful regular production Ferrari. The company built just 349 units of the 665,000-euro Enzo from 2002 to 2004, while annual production of 1,000 units is planned for the FF.

Technical innovations introduced on the FF include:

• A patented 4wd system called 4RM, which is about 50 percent lighter than a conventional 4wd system and maintains an almost perfect weight distribution (53 percent over the rear axle)

• SCM3, the latest development of the carmaker's magnetorheological self-adjusting damping system

• Brembo's latest carbon-ceramic brakes are standard equipment. Carbon-ceramic brakes are lighter than conventional cast iron discs and last the entire life-cycle of the car

Although it is 4wd, the FF is lighter than the rwd car it replaces. It has a 1,790kg dry weight, 50kg less than the Scaglietti. The FF is 4907mm long, 1953mm wide and1379mm tall. The Scaglietti was launched late 2003 and had an interior face-lift in 2007. Last year, it was Ferrari's No. 4 seller, behind the California, 458 Italia and 599 GTB Fiorano.

Audi to engineer next Porsche Cayenne

Audi will develop the Volkswagen Group's Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg and Audi Q7 large SUVs in the future.

Currently, Porsche has responsibility for engineering the three models, which share the same underpinnings.

The decision to transfer development to Audi comes after Porsche was chosen instead of Audi to be the lead developer for large luxury sedans and sports cars within VW Group.

An Audi spokesman confirmed to Automotive News Europe German press reports that Audi will be responsible for developing the platforms of large SUV model lines within VW. 

"This decision was made in agreement with all of the brands involved and will create synergies throughout the group to the benefit of both the brand and the customers," the spokesman said.

A Porsche spokesman said: "This is not badge engineering. Porsche will be responsible for the engines and performance of the next Cayenne. It will drive like a Porsche and perform like a Porsche."

Audi will also develop Porsche's new small SUV, code-named Cajun, which will share its underbody with the Audi Q5, the Porsche spokesman said.

VW bosses hope the change will end a conflict over development responsibilities between the Audi and Porsche brands that has been ongoing since VW Group announced its plan to integrate Porsche as its 10th brand, according to the Financial Times Deutschland.

It will be several years before an Audi-engineered Porsche Cayenne reaches showrooms. The second-generation Cayenne went on sale earlier this year. A new-generation Volkswagen Touareg was also introduced this year.

The next Audi Q7 is due to go on sale in two years and its development is almost complete. 

VW has picked Porsche to develop the group's so-called "modular standard matrix" that will underpin the Porsche Panamera and future Bentleys. It will also be responsible for a sports car platform for front-mid- and rear-mid-engine cars for Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini.

Audi will continue to have responsibility for developing VW Group's so-called "modular longitudinal matrix," which was introduced in 2007 and underpins cars such as the Audi A4, A5 and Q5. 

VW brand is developing the “modular transverse matrix,” which debuts on the Audi A3 in 2012 and will eventually underpin about 40 models and 6 million units annually, including the next VW Golf.

VW is merging Porsche into its brand portfolio after VW acquired 49.9 percent of Porsche's car-making unit after Porsche last year failed in a hostile takeover attempt for VW.

Magna mulls Pininfarina takeover

Canadian-Austrian parts supplier Magna International Inc. is weighing a proposal to buy Italian design specialist Pininfarina S.p.A., three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Automotive News Europe.

Earlier this month, Pininfarina's quarterly earnings report disclosed that the company could be sold as soon as Dec. 31. But Magna and Pininfarina declined to comment on the likelihood of a sale.

Magna wants to strengthen its position as a global supplier of design, engineering and contract manufacturing, one source said. Pininfarina's design expertise and engineering know-how would augment the range of services offered by Magna subsidiary Magna Steyr, which engineers complete vehicles and builds cars for several automakers at its assembly plant in Graz, Austria.

Magna has bid to take over an automaker, without success. It failed to gain control of Aston Martin from Ford Motor Co. and last year a consortium led by Magna was poised to acquire Opel/Vauxhall from General Motors Co., but the Detroit automaker backed out.

After the Opel defeat, Magna decided to stop pursuing automakers and instead focus on its core business of being a global supplier of parts and services, including contract manufacturing.

Financial struggles

Pininfarina is known for building legendary sport cars such as the 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider and the 1984 Ferrari Testarossa. But the company has struggled financially for years, losing a combined 358 million euros from 2007 to 2009.

In August 2009, Pininfarina hired Banca Leonardo, a Milan-based merchant bank, to sell a 50.7 percent stake held by Pincar, the Pininfarina family holding company. The sale is part of a debt agreement made at the end of 2008 with creditor banks, which canceled 180 million euros in loans as part of the agreement. The banks will get the proceeds from the sale of the stake, which grew to 76.1 percent late last year after the banks canceled another 70 million euros in loans.

Banca Leonardo officials declined to comment on the possible Magna takeover of Pininfarina.

The Pininfarina family's share of the company has shrunk from 55 percent to just 1.2 percent.

Pininfarina, which is listed on the Milan stock exchange, was founded 80 years ago by Battista Pininfarina, the grandfather of current chairman Paolo Pininfarina.

Less debt

Pininfarina has reduced its net debt from 157 million euros in 2007 to 58 million euros (about $78 million) as of Sept. 30. But the company is still losing money. 

For the first nine months of 2010, Pininfarina reported a net loss of 34 million euros, compared with 18 million euros a year earlier. For the full year, Pininfarina expects flat sales, more debt and a larger net loss.

If Pininfarina is sold, the buyer will get a company that is focused on design and engineering, rather than vehicle assembly.

The company still has two Italian assembly plants in Bairo and San Giorgio Canavese, both north of Turin. But Pininfarina will stop production at those factories when it completes the last Alfa Romeo Brera coupe and Spider models this month.

Pininfarina also makes cars in a joint venture with Volvo Car Corp. in Sweden. But the company has an option to sell its stake if Volvo fails to submit a plan this year for its C70 replacement.

Fiat may sell Ferrari stake ahead of Chrysler merger, Marchionne tells analysts

Fiat S.p.A. may sell auto-parts division Magneti Marelli S.p.A. and a stake in supercar maker Ferrari S.p.A. before consolidating Chrysler Group LLC, CEO Sergio Marchionne told analysts. 

“We left Turin with the clear message that Fiat and Chrysler will become one company,” Morgan Stanley analyst Stuart Pearson wrote in a note to clients Monday, after attending a Nov. 12 analysts meeting with Marchionne. “A Ferrari initial public offering and potential Marelli disposal may need to come first, according to management,” said Pearson, who has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley added Fiat to its “best ideas” list Monday. 

Credit Suisse analyst Eric Hauser was quoted Monday as saying that “Marchionne identified a Ferrari initial public offering and Magneti Marelli disposal as potential sources of cash, without giving a timeframe. 

“Fiat may value Ferrari at 2.4 billion euros ($3.3 billion), Magneti Marelli will be a much tougher asset to dispose of as 50 percent of sales are to Fiat,” said Hauser, who has a “neutral” rating on the stock. “I guess they'll float Chrysler first and then work out how to finance the exercise of options to get to over 50 percent in Chrysler, between 2013 and 2016.” 

Pending stock listing

Marchionne also took the opportunity to explain the advantages of spinning off Fiat's industrial businesses, including Iveco S.p.A. and CNH Global NV. Italy's biggest manufacturer plans to list Fiat Industrial S.p.A. shares on the Milan exchange on Jan. 3, allowing it to focus on reviving carmaking operations. 

Fiat declined to comment on the analyst reports from the meeting, but confirmed the meeting took place in Turin on Nov. 12. 

Writing in a note to investors, USB analyst Philippe Houchois claimed that Alfa Romeo clearly is not for sale because its will play a key role in Marchionne's five-year plan for Fiat Group. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's report said that Marchionne confirmed VW's interest in buying Alfa Romeo, but added that the brand would only be sold for a very high price. 

Fiat, which acquired a 20 percent stake in Auburn Hills, Michigan,-based Chrysler last year, has said it will raise the holding to 25 percent by the first quarter and to 35 percent by the end of next year. 

Marchionne plans to take the U.S. automaker public in the second half of 2011.

Alfa 159 a mistake

According to the Morgan Stanley report, Marchionne also admitted that launching the Alfa 159 was a mistake, but he said he is confident that a U.S. built Giulia will be a "true Alfa."

A Fiat spokesman said the company has not decided yet whether to build the Alfa Giulia in Italy or in the United States. According to a Fiat strategic plan unveiled in April, the Giulia would replace the 159 sedan and wagon at the end of 2012.

Lamborghini sees sales dip before new supercar launch

Lamborghini ceased production of its high-performance Murcielago six months ago and will not see sales pick up again before the second half of 2011 with the launch of a successor supercar, its CEO said on Friday.

Lamborghini, a unit of Volkswagen AG's Audi, ended production of the $400,000 Murcielago in May in a move that is bound to hit full-year revenues, Stephan Winkelmann said in an e-mail to Reuters.

"This will surely have an impact on our sales performance. Compared with 2009, we will pay for the absence of the Murcielago this year," he said.

Founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, the company has been hit hard by the global economic crisis.

First-half sales fell 2.6 percent to 152.9 million euros ($216 million), despite continued growth in Asia, after dropping 41 percent to 281 million euros in 2009.

"In general terms, a return to the record levels seen in 2007-2008 will not be immediate, considering the slow demand from markets like Europe and the United States," Winkelmann said. "We see a recovery starting from the second half of next year." Lamborghini sold a record 2,430 cars in 2008.

The Murcielago, which is named after a fighting bull like its famous predecessor, the Diablo, and its cheaper sibling, the Gallardo, is Lamborghini's top-selling 12-cylinder car, with more than 4,000 delivered in nine years, of which 409 were sold in 2009. The last Murcielago left the company's base in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, in May, for a Swiss customer.

Selling for up to 300,000 euros ($424,300) apiece, the Murcielago costs almost twice that of the Gallardo, now the company's only product on offer until the next supercar model is unveiled in Geneva in March 2011.

Looking ahead, Winkelmann said Lamborghini aimed to launch a new model every year and boost investments in new technologies.

A new initiative will be announced in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks, he said.

Lamborghini rival Ferrari, which reported third-quarter revenues of 446 million euros, up 12.6 percent from a year ago, is looking to post near record results for this year, the Fiat unit's chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, said in September.

Citroen DS9 gets greenlit for China

The ‘French S-Class’ based on the Metropolis Concept is on its way, with petrol hybrid engines and a wheelbase longer than Audi A8.

French giant Citroen is taking its luxury DS range to the next level! The company is set to launch a new flagship saloon to compete head-on with Mercedes’ S-Class, as well as the Audi A8 and JaguarXJ. And Auto Express has learned it will be badged DS9. 

Designed to show just what the upmarket DS sub-brand is capable of, the newcomer will take its lead from the Metropolis concept, which was revealed at the Shanghai Expo back in May. And it will also be built in China. 

Speaking to Automotive News China, Citroen’s head of Asian operations, Gregoire Olivier, said: “The Metropolis will happen, it will become a real car."

“The styling elements will be used for a high-level Citroen to be developed in China. We want to build up the premier line in the country, and this concept is central to this approach.”

The Metropolis uses the C6 executive saloon’s platform, and is 5.3 metres in length – that’s longer than an A8 LWB. It has a 2.0-litre petrol V6 mated to an electric motor, which delivers 460bhp and CO2 emissions of 70g/km. 

A similar powertrain is expected in the DS9, although details have yet to be finalised. Scheduled to enter production in late 2012, the DS9 will be built as part of Citroen’s joint venture with the Changan Automotive Group in Guangdong province.