Kiyoshi

2011 Ford Mustang GT Announced as Daytona 500 Official Pace Car The bargain-priced,potent Audi RS5 alternative. Let's congratulate on "reborn of American muscle"!!

Opel Announces Insignia OPC Nurburgring Final Testing on Bonnet The Opel Insignia OPC has terrific attributes such as immense traction,predictable handling,and goblin-like mid range torque. Yet she's a little too heavy and thirsty,compared with the likes of Audi S4 and VW Passat R36. CO2 amount is also higher than these comparable Audis and VWs. She does fairly well against her formidable competitors from the Audi S4 to the Saab 9-5 2.8T to the parallel-imported Lexus IS350 in EU market,but her engine management system could be better! The Opel Insignia series(2008-2009 COTY) has been the top-seller in European D-segment(intermediate) market,so if this ultra-sonic OPC version becomes cleaner and more economical BMW and Mercedes should become serious about Opel!

2011 Peugeot 408 Sedan Revealed in Beijing Nice looking,worthy rival for the likes of Toyota Corolla,Honda Civic,VW Sagitar(Jetta made in China),and Buick Excelle in bourgeoning Chinese intermediate sedan market. But her length seems somewhat too long in my notion. If she has just below 4600mm long,her packaging would become more rational.

2012 Peugeot 508 First Winter Test Spy Photos - Successor to the 407 and 607 She seems well-engineered,yet looks somewhat mundane. As a successor for this company's core saloon 407 and the lame-duck 607,she should be an incarnation of blend between spaciousness and virile design.

2011 Peugeot 408 First Spy Photos on the Road She seems to have wider roomspace compared with current 407 Sedan. If so,it would return to Peugeot's very asset of combination between elegant design and practicality. Among her expected engines,I'm attracted at 3.0 V6 turbodiesel and 1.6 direct-injection turbo gasoline unit. I do anticipate the new Peugeot's mid-sizer do well against the likes of VW Passat,Opel Insignia,and Audi A4 in European premium midsize segment(D-segment)!

Peugeot 408 First Spy Photos Surface The new 408's dynamic styling is very impressive,and I expect good ergonomics and spacious inside. If such lambent,artistic style is combined with ample space,it would be intrinsic beauty. Frankly speaking,current 407 Peugeot is somewhat cumbersome and its concept is off the mark. Her visibility is below average,owing to steep A-pillars,while elephantine body contributes little to inner and luggage space. Thus her design policy is no true beauty,just a peripheral,commercial one. After all,the current Peugeot 407 is largely different animal compared with her ancestors,404 and 504. Albeit her flexible engines and well-engineered suspensions are still up to Peugeot's good tradition,her design cues are dynamic yet too market oriented,in my remark. I do expect the debut of Peugeot 408,as the trigger of new era for European premium-midsize(D-segment)!

Peugeot 407 Facelift for 2008 I am very attracted by Peugeot sedans,especially the 407. She's the worthy descendant of Peugeot 404,the biggest masterpiece of Peugeot's history. The 407's forte is great stability,in fact she can cruise safer than some Mercedes and BMW on Autobahn under rainy,snowy,or gusty conditions. Her geometry is quite well-thought,in combination with good brakes,she feels almost on the rail while cruising. On the other hand,I feel sorry about several quality problems in the Peugeot 407,from engine management system to fit-and-finish defects,especially seen in the examples made in early eras. But I do hope such defects will be improved in the newest version. Albeit the 407 sedan has several shortcomings in ergonomics,as poor visibility owing to steep pillars and not so wide back seats,she is quite well-engineered automobile armed with supple ride,predictable handling,and flexible engines. The V6 variants of 407 series,either turbo diesel 2.7-litres or gasoline 3.0-litres,are able to cruise at maximum speed up to 155mph=250km/h(manufacturer data is 230km/h),up to today's standard,but fuel consumption of these V6s is barely average and inferior to BMW,Audi,and Mercedes units of similar displacement. So the brand-new 3.0-litres V6 turbo diesel unit(developed under collaboration with Jaguar) is a leap-forward from previous units,and new diesel-powered 407 Coupe 3.0 V6 is the very Peugeot suitable for American market,if this brand do comeback to USA!

New Peugeot 608 Set for Paris Debut? The new Peugeot 608 will be the worthy successor for lacklusture 607, I hope. She is expected to be equipped with PSA's brand-new 3.0L V6 diesel turbo engine. Since her platform should be shared with that of the Citroen C6(namely also the Peugeot 407), this new V6 diesel would be mounted on her chassis easily. In fact, currently the Peugeot 607 is known merely as Lisbon Airport taxi, namely its prestige is as low as the Hyundai Azera in Europe. Such dowdy 607 will soon become history, but long dowdy history of Peugeot in European executive sector will remain and prevent the new 608 sedan from competing face on face with Mercedes, BMW, and Audi troikas for a while, I expect. The "European Buick Le Sabre" the large Peugeots have long been sensible choice but lacking in thrills and frills certainly. Such doldrum will change in near future, I hope.

New Mercedes E-Class Sedan Priced $4,600 Below Current Model (US) The new Mercedes E-Class(W212) is not so stylish, but her ergonomics and aerodynamics will set a new standard in the world, I hope. Above all, Japanese(my home country) and American market cannot receive this company's state-of-art 3.5litres V6 direct injection petrol unit for a while, this decision is a kind of laziness of Daimler AG! I feel very sorry about such tepid policy toward Japanese and USA markets! According to the rumour, the Mercedes company is preparing for marketing its E350CGI, the direct-injection version, both in Japan and USA. The direct-injection E350CGI will go on sale in these markets in late this year, so buying current port-injection E350 is unclever way, to my opinion. I used to have the 1992-made Mercedes 260E until last year, she was somewhat lethargic and noisy but her bank vault like body-construction was almost miraculous, compared with my current car, the Lexus IS350 of 2009 model. My 260E was also fast in those era, recording 241km/h(150mph) on chassis dyno. This data is as fast as today's Citroen C6 2.7HDi! The new W212 Mercedes E-Class will become a worthy descendent of legendary W124 260E-300E series, especially in E350CGI and in E320CDI guises.

Citroen Releases First Details of New 3.0HDi V6 Diesel Engine The new V6 diesel engine will give these big Citroens new lease of life,I think. In fact,Citroen has long been lacking in powerful and economical state-of-art 6cylinder engines. This company's previous V6 units for its C5 and C6 executive saloons have below-average engine muscle and mundane passing power,certainly. Such plebeian engine characteristics have prevented their large sedans from taking on the likes of Audi,BMW,and Mercedes-Benz. For example,the XU94S V6 gasoline unit of 2946cc displacement has only 215bhp,so it gives barely fair performance to the Citroen C6 sedan which weighs 1820kg(about 4000pound). The V6 gasoline engine takes long straight line and considerable time to wind C6 sedan up to her maximum speed(about 250km/h if well run-in example,well above manufacturer data of 230km/h.). Along with it,both in gasoline and diesel guises,Citroen's current V6 units give woolly 0-60mph acceleration times of middle 9secs in C6 and around 9sec flat in C5,almost as fast as the VW Golf 1.4TSI with 140bhp! These never exciting performance data and rather lethargic feeling of power units have made Citroen C5 and C6 series little more than quirky niches for those who love eccentricity,frankly speaking. But such doldrum will become all history! Namely the new V6 diesel engine with 240hp makes large Citroen sedans queens of Autoroute,and its massive and punchy torque characteristics exhilarate C5 and C6 sedans' artistic and classy inside/out. So the revised Citroen C5 and C6 sedans will grow to be no-nonsense alternatives for somewhat antiseptic Audis and BMWs,I believe. Let's shout "Vive la France!"