Lexus LF-LC Sports Coupe

Lexus makes another Ugly Duckling?

Last week, Lexus unveiled their latest design exercise at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. According to Lexus, this new LF-LC 2+2 sports coupe concept marks a further step in the development of Lexus’ design direction.

Once again, according to the press hand-outs, Lexus has crafted the LF-LC from a clean sheet of paper, combining high technology and organic shapes to achieve a close connection between driver and car. The concept’s clean lines create a highly distinctive, futuristic look. LF-LC was conceived as an exercise to explore the future of Lexus design and was created at Lexus’ Calty design studio in Newport Beach, California.

Sometimes I wonder whether these advertising agency copywriters have been smoking funny cigarettes while sitting at their consoles. This Lexus certainly continues the further development of fugly motor cars. In 2011 I said that Lexus has lost the plot. They have certainly proved that with this one.

Valencia to pay with oranges?

The government of Valencia has confirmed that they are looking to renegotiate their contract with F1 supremo Bernie (soft heart) Ecclestone.

The Spanish port city has hosted the European Grand Prix since 2008 and their current deal, which is reportedly worth €20.5 million per race (in ‘real’ money about 8 billion baht) runs until 2014.

However, vice-president of the Generalitat Valenciana Jose Ciscar says they are looking to reduce costs and plan to write to Ecclestone.

Although he concedes that the major sporting events provide “significant value” to Valencia, Ciscar revealed that they are “under full and absolute review” as “they are not viable as they have been until now.”

He admitted to El Pais newspaper that it would be difficult to cancel the contract as the financial penalty is likely to be higher. He added, “I have not had time to read the contract and do not know the impact it would have [if the deal is cancelled].”

This time I hope Bernie sticks to his guns, as Valencia would be absolutely no loss at all. The most boring racing on the most boring circuit through the Spanish docklands.

The new Kuga/Escape is coming

Ford Vertrek concept.

In November last year, Ford revealed to the public a preview of what will become the new Ford Escape. Shown in concept form and called the Vertrek.

The design confirmation is one of a series of details Ford has released over the past month about the reborn Escape (known in some markets as the Kuga), which is built off the same C-segment small-car platform as the new-generation Focus.

The production model’s silhouette has the same sleek profile with short front and rear overhangs and arched roofline as the Vertrek. The engines most likely to be used include three four-cylinder petrol engine options, namely 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter EcoBoost engines and a 2.5-litre Ti-VCT unit with twin independent variable camshaft timing.

Ford claims that the two EcoBoost variants, both of which feature turbocharging, direct injection and Ti-VCT, deliver class-leading fuel economy and performance. Specific details are still to be divulged, but Ford routinely claims that EcoBoost increases fuel economy by up to 20 percent while reducing CO2 emissions up to 15 percent.

The company also says the 1.6 liter engine - which is already available on the Focus and related C-Max people-mover in Europe and was fitted to the Vertrek concept, complete with fuel-saving idle-stop and regenerative braking technologies - will deliver even better highway fuel economy than the current US Escape Hybrid, which is US EPA-rated at 31 mpg (7.6 L/100 km).

“Expanding the availability of EcoBoost technology in the all-new Ford Escape will give customers a great range of choices for the fuel efficiency and performance they want in a small SUV,” said Ford Motor Co vice-president of powertrain engineering, Joe Bakaj. “This advanced technology in the new Escape delivers on our commitment to provide class-leading fuel efficiency in every new Ford product.”

There is also an upgraded 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel engine used in Europe that should also be available here, delivering a claimed seven percent reduction in CO2 emissions over the current unit, while six-speed automatic and manual transmissions will be offered across the range.

Longer and wider but lower than the outgoing Escape, the Vertrek’s “sleek, modern design”, as Ford describes it, still manages a generous cargo volume, with 828 liters available behind the back row or 1879 liters when the rear seats are folded.

The Prince of Darkness and his brother

Old Armstrong shockers.

I was sent the following from a friend in Australia. I have no idea where it came from (and neither does he)…

Once upon a time, a long time ago, near the mythical village of Birmingham, there were two identical twin brothers - separated at birth - who were destined to shape the lives of many, many thousands of future British car owners.

One of these brothers was born “visually challenged” - and was called “Lucas”. Lucas became quite bitter, and dedicated himself to ensuring that everyone else should have some insight to his world of darkness. The story of Lucas is well documented (mostly in Braille).

The other brother - who exhibited large amounts of upper body strength - was known as “Armstrong”. This is part of the story of Armstrong - the younger, and stronger, brother - who went on to pioneer shock absorber damping to generations of British vehicles.

Armstrong - although credited with huge amounts of upper body strength - had little or no stamina (due, I think, to a genetic design defect). He was able to resist and contain huge forces - but generally only for a short period of time. Left under physical stress for any length of time, he would, without warning, spew copious amounts of a substance resembling light oil from his armpits.

It was this socially unacceptable personal behavior which I believe prevented him from attaining international acceptance in the motoring industry: this behavior remains a repeatable mystery to this day by all his siblings and descendants. This weakness - not unlike the fabled Achilles and his heel - is known in medical circles as an “Armstrong armpit”. (In actual fact it is known as Hyperhidrosis.)

The fuel oil crisis. Winners and losers.

Our fossil fuel is coming to an end, so we are told. As stocks dwindle with our need for oil unabated, the principle of supply and demand continues. As demand goes up, so does the price. Soothsayers claim we will see oil back at $150 per barrel by the end of the year, and they are probably correct. The price at the pumps is also going up, but is it going up proportionally?

If you want to know the ‘real’ facts in this world, read the financial pages of your newspapers. “Follow the money” should be everyone’s motto. Did you know, for example, that the poor oil companies who are scratching around, trying to get us motorists enough gasoline to last for the rest of the decade, because they are really nice guys, and who so reluctantly have had to increase the price of their product, are recording the greatest profits in their history? Read the financial pages and follow the money! The price went up, and so did the profits. Somebody is making a killing here, and it isn’t the motorist. We are the losers. No prizes for guessing who are the winners!

However, we are stuck with the situation, and I believe that market forces will see the motoring world adopt different energy sources, because they will be cheaper. Hydrogen will eventually be cheaper than gasoline, while hybrids and diesels already are already more cost efficient than the current crop of purple petrol eaters.

For many industrial operators, biodiesel is seen as the path to follow, and many governments are legislating to make this a favored option. Even in Thailand, there are government moves towards assisting in the planting of oil palms as forerunners of a biodiesel push, while up in the north of Thailand in Chiang Mai, the university there is running small waste oil recycling plants to produce biodiesel from discarded cooking oil. It seems that we can be more efficient, if not self-sufficient.

It should also not be forgotten that Rudolf Diesel’s first successful variant of his engine ran on peanut oil! We are not dealing with some new technology. The idea of putting pure, natural vegetable oil - like the oil we fry chips in - into the fuel tanks of diesel vehicles is as old as diesel technology itself. Natural vegetable oils such as canola oil are CO2-neutral, sulfur-free and non-toxic and research shows that fuel consumption and engine performance are the same as in conventional diesel operations.

It really is time for us to break the hold over us exerted by the pimps at the pumps.

Interesting cars on the horizon

Hyundai Elantra.

Slowly, but ever so surely, the Thai market is maturing. The endless stream of pick-ups has started to slow down. Remembering that pick-ups have enjoyed a tax break which other vehicles do not get, this was the incentive the Thai market needed. The pick-up reigned supreme.

However, as the average Thai wage improved, and the automakers began offering cheaper cars, it was not quite so cut and dried in the comparison of pick-up versus sedan. And with the eco-car category less than 500,000 baht, the pick-up was dealt a devastating blow. Not a knock-out, but a TKO if nothing else.

In the eco-car class (or price) there is the Nissan March, the new Mitsubishi Mirage, the Honda Brio, a new Suzuki and the Chevrolet Spark.

Under a million baht you have plenty of choice too, with the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Aveo and the Kia Rio. Unless you are ferrying a buffalo and a family of 17, why would you buy a pick-up?

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I mentioned that the AC Ace did not start its production life as an AC, but as something else, which was purchased by AC and the Bristol engine removed. What was that original car? It was a Tojeiro, designed and built by John Tojeiro. AC took the Bristol engine out and used their own (very old) AC engine instead. Of course, the ultimate form of this car was the 7 liter Ford Shelby Cobra.

So to this week. What postwar icon had windows and roof (metal or canvas) as optional extras? Clue: think mud.

For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].