From the Passenger's Seat

This is the normal Doge Dart, not the high-mileage Aero trim this article is about. Like many other compact sedans, the new Dodge Dart will require you to select a special trim level in order to get to the magical "40 miles per gallon on the highway" EPA fuel economy rating. This overachieving sedan has a special package called the "Aero" (reminds you of the now-dead Saab, doesn't it. Sigh.) that will use the 1.4 liter MultiAir turbocharged four cylinder engine, low rolling resistance tires and unique aerodynamic wheel covers. Interestingly enough, this package will be manual transmission only, which will sure woo car enthusiasts, but will obviously rebuke many other shoppers. Otherwise, equipment will be comparable to the SXT trim level (see my previous Dodge Dart trim level breakdown). Production of the normal Dart will commence May 3rd, or this Wednesday. The Aero will be on sale later this fall.

In the past, Lamborghini's names for their vehicles have always been associated with some well- known  fighting bull. With the cow Urus name, that has changed. Now, Lamborghini has moved even further away from bull names with the trademark application "Huracan." If sounds like "hurricane" to you, it is. The name is completely unrelated to cows and bulls, but is still a nice name for a Lamborghini nonetheless. The origin of the word is Spanish, and  the English actually stole it from Spanish. Well, the Spanish stole it from the Mayans, too.  Another recent trademark filing from Lamborghini is Deimos, the Greek god of terror and dread. I'm not sure I want to own a car with that name... One of the names will likely be used for the production version of the Urus concept (the styling has grown on me). The other will probably used for the upcoming Gallardo substitute.  In any case, both of these names will used, in either concept or production...

Excepting the hot Beijing Auto Show, there isn't much car news today. That's why I'm covering something that I wouldn't otherwise cover: the Mercedes Benz Viano Vision Diamond Concept.  For those of you that don't know, the cargo and passenger van market is a profitable on for Mercedes overseas. The Viano is a heavy duty passenger van, like a a Ford E-Series but only more refined.  In the past, there has been many conversions of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter and Viano vans into opulent limousine vans. This time, Mercedes Benz did it on their own. This is a follow-up to the Viano Vision Pearl concept from the Frankfurt Auto Show.  It is superbly luxurious inside. There are only two seats, but those two passengers will be pampered in the utmost comfort and luxurious ambiance. White-gray Nappa leather covers huge expanses of the passenger compartment, with a ring of dark wood accenting it. The two thrones are highly adjustable and climate controll...

The Jaguar engine lineup right now in the United States includes only eight cylinder gasoline motors that, while sweet, are gas gulpers. Jaguar is going to change that and try to entice more shoppers by putting two new engines in their U.S. engine portfolio. The first engine they're going to implement is the Ecoboost 2 liter four cylinder engine producing 240 horsepower. This engine also powers the new Ford Escape, 2013 Ford Fusion, Ford Edge, and Range Rover Evoque, among others. Helping give the Ecoboost an extra boost in gas mileage is a new 8-speed automatic transmission. To make a V-6, Jaguar will simply chop two cylinders off its existing V-8. To make it have V-8 thrust, Jaguar will add a supercharger on top of it. It should make 340 to 380 horsepower, depending on the vehicle it is stuffed in. The V-6 will have the latest goodies in engine technology, including an all aluminum design, direct injection, variable valve timing, and engine start/stop. It will be conne...

In all of China and its glory, there are many luxury vehicles debuting there. Here are some highlights.  The Rolls Royce Ghost Six Senses Concept is just a gussied up Ghost. It is supposed to appeal to all five senses and the sixth sense of a luxury atmosphere. No power increases are involved. Although this is a concept, it can be easily copied for production. Bentley, not to be left out, also debuted a special edition, only without the word "concept" in its name. It is the Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee Edition, named after the British queen. Chrysler has two cars up its sleeve as well. The Chrysler 300 Ruyi Design Concept is inspired by ruyi scepters. The Jeep Wrangler Dragon Design Concept joins many other dragon themed vehicles. The gold accenting is too much for me.  The disgusting Lamborghini Urus is there, too. It showcases the next Lamborghini SUV after the LM002.  One not-so-luxury vehicle is the new Nissan Sylphy, a common sight in Chi...

I know I don't post on Fridays or the weekend, but this is important. Lamborghini has released photos of its new SUV, the Urus. It looks disgusting. It's not terrible, just plain out disgusting. Even the name is gross. It looks like a cross breed between a Porsche Cayenne, an Aventador, a Range Rover Evoque and a Acura ZDX. Not a pretty result. Take a look.  Here's the poopoo interior.

Ever since the ENVI electric car program was terminated back in 2009 when Chrysler became bankrupt, there wasn't much activity on electric or alternative fuel vehicles. They were having a hard time just selling gasoline powered vehicles (Hahaha!!!). Anyways, now the plug-in hybrid Town & Countries are undergoing testing by Duke Energy in Charlotte.  Right now, there are merely eight vehicles of this type. Chrysler plans to build 25 for fleet use. In the next two years, Chrysler engineers will receive data from the white rat vehicles for further use on perhaps a production electric/plug in hybrid car in the far future. These special minivans use the regular 3.6 liter Pentastar V-6 found in many other Chrysler products. However, a electric motor fuel by a 12.1 kilowatt-hour Li-ion helps propel the car forward. Total range is said to be over 700 miles, and charging time using a 220-volt outlet is 2 to 4 hours while using a household outlet triples those numbers.  Wh...