NASCAR Busch series, which will be called the Nationwide series in 2008 and beyond:
A source at Ford Motor Company says the motorsports division expects the Ford Mustang to replace the Fusion in the NASCAR Busch [Nationwide Series in 2008] series.
That said, it may not be a done deal. Reportedly Chevrolet is balking at running the Camaro in the NASCAR series. Rumors suggest that Dodge is considering a Busch series version of the Challenger, which just went on sale at a price of under $38,000, for delivery in 2008. Dodge will build 5,000 Challengers in 2008, and expects to increase that number by sevenfold for 2009. Sales expectations for the Chevrolet Camaro are higher. With the discontinuation of the Monte Carlo, Chevrolet has no sports coupe aside from the Corvette and the small Cobalt SS, and won’t until the Camaro is introduced. The Corvette will continue to race in the American Le Mans and Grand-Am series, though one contingent within General Motors is pressing for a body change for the ALMS GT1 class, where GM’s two factory Corvettes literally have no competition: They’d like to see those Corvettes rebodied as Camaros to help launch that model, which won’t hit the market until well after the Challenger.
Also, the move to “pony car” coupes could cause a problem for Toyota. The Camry Solara, a two-door sedan version of the top-selling car in the United States, may disappear after the 2008 model year. Sales are dismal; Toyota is expected to build only about 30,000 Solaras this year, compared to about 400,000 Camry sedans. One possibility at Toyota: Automotive News says that the company is expected to introduce a new Celica sports coupe in Europe in 2009. If that car comes here, it could be raced in NASCAR. The discontinued Celica made some appearances in the now-defunct NASCAR Dash series. If the move to the Mustang, et al, is to be made for 2009, that announcement would be expected soon after the first of next year.
Tags: Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang
Japanese brands accounted for nearly half the models in Consumer Reports magazine’s roster of vehicles winning the highest praise from their owners.
Toyota Motor Corp. came out ahead, with 10 of the 39 vehicles whose owners said in overwhelming numbers that they would buy the same model again, according to the survey released today.
American brands accounted for seven, or fewer than 20 percent, of the models rated “most satisfying” by U.S. consumers. But domestic vehicles gained ground for the first time in five years in the important family car category, where the V6-powered Ford Fusion and Saturn Aura won high marks.
Other top-rated U.S. vehicles included the Chevrolet Corvette, the Lincoln MKZ, the V8-powered Ford Mustang and the Ford Edge sport utility vehicle.
“These latest results suggest that domestic carmakers are getting better at capturing what people want in the car they drive every day,” said Rik Paul, Consumer Reports’ automotive editor.
Domestic vehicles still fill the ranks of “least satisfying” models, but many of those, like the Ford Freestar minivan, are no longer in production or are getting old.
Consumer Reports compiled the results from the responses to the same subscriber survey that generates the magazine’s closely watched reliability ratings. The magazine said the responses covered more than 300 models.
The findings confirm the results of other polls, which show that while the Japanese are ahead in terms of pleasing consumers, others are narrowing the gap.
“There’s no question that the quality gap has narrowed” and that Detroit’s automakers also are producing more attractively styled cars now, said Christopher Chaney, vice president at the San Diego-based consulting firm Strategic Vision, which also conducts auto surveys.
Fun, reliability big factors
Consumer Reports said the Toyota Prius hybrid car was rated the most satisfying vehicle for the fourth year in a row, with 92 percent of Prius owners saying they would definitely buy one again. Close behind were the BMW 335i coupe/convertible and the Porsche Boxster.
European models accounted for 12 cars on the list — a slight increase from last year and a disproportionately high number, given their small U.S. market share of less than 10 percent. European nameplates dominated the sporty car and roadster categories.
Two South Korean models, Hyundai’s Azera sedan and Santa Fe SUV, made the list of “most satisfying” cars for the first time.
David Champion, director of vehicle testing at Consumer Reports, said the highest-rated vehicles tended to be fun to drive and reliable. “If you buy a car and it doesn’t give you any problems, you tend to be satisfied with it.”
Although performance is a big factor, fuel efficiency is also an important consideration now, Champion said. “Cars that get good fuel economy are also very high in terms of owner satisfaction.”
Consumer Reports rates vehicles “most satisfying” if at least 80 percent of owners say they would definitely buy or lease that model again. They are rated “least satisfying” if fewer than half the owners would buy that model again.
Tags: Chevrolet, Corvette, Ford Mustang, SUV, Toyota
