THE UGLY... FROM THE 2008 PARIS AUTO SHOW

The good and the bad have already been declared. We're only discussing previously un-seen-at-GCBC cars from the Paris auto show currently underway. Audi and Renault snuck cars into the good, Lexus and Peugeot forced cars into the bad. Nissan and Renault are found in the weird department.

Now for another French automaker. Citroen's GT Concept is a stunner. Visually dramatic. Long; low; and lean like a Bugatti Veyron. Unlike anything else available.

But placed beside an Aston Martin DBS, Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Porsche Carrera GT, or even a Bentley Continental GT, the Citroen is, dare I say it, ugly.

That's not to say the Citroen deserves to be considered bad. To put it simply, good is the opposite of bad; good can't be ugly; but ugly is not the twin of bad. I even sort of like the Citroen GT Concept. It is, after all, unlike anything else. But pretty, handsome, beautiful, cute, or lovely? No. It's ugly. 

In a similar vein, the Mazda Kiyora Concept has unique elements and impressive angles. All-around, however, the Mazda Kiyora is a letdown, especially compared with some earlier like-minded Mazdas like the Riyuga or Taiki.The Kiyora designers stuck with a theme. Everything sweeps. Rather, almost everything. The Kiyora looks pudgy and the aftertaste is somewhat Mazda-of-the-90s. That's not good, it's not bad. It's just ugly.

THE BAD... FROM THE 2008 PARIS AUTO SHOW

Thus far, two cars that hadn't yet been displayed on these pages have garnered "good" ratings at the Paris auto show. Audi's A1 Sportback and the Renault Megane Coupe are intriguing, handsome, and properly evolved transportation. (Click to read about the ugly and the weird, too.)

Now, for the bad. Although suitable for the ugly category that's yet to come, Lexus' IS250C fits in this space simply because Lexus should know better. Already, Toyota's luxury brand has cancelled continuing production of the SC430 that The Good Car Guy placed in The Bad 8. A second convertible appears, this time of the hardtop variety, and it sucks. The current Lexus IS appears to be a sound starting point. But perhaps its lines don't favour the removal of doors and the fitment of a large and heavy roof. In fact, the IS hardtop-convertible looks downright Chrysler Sebringesque from some angles.

Good gone ugly equals bad. The Lexus IS250C is bad, indeed.

Joining the Lexus is the Peugeot Prologue. There's more to its label, but you don't need to care. Worse than its grille is its description: a new kind of crossover. Will there ever be the same kind of crossover, the kind that one manufacturer releases; indentical in concept to its very direct competitor? The Lexus RX300 and Toyota RAV4 were new kinds of crossovers. We didn't even call them crossovers back in the 90s. Now Peugeot is saying the Prologue HYmotion4 is "a new type of cross-over" and that Peugeot is "anticipating future trends" 

Shut-up. Please. The Prologue may turn out all right; just don't believe Peugeot's hype.

THE GOOD..... FROM THE 2008 PARIS AUTO SHOW

Good can be defined in many ways. When it comes to automobiles, The Good 12 from GoodCarBadCar.net requires a car to be available to North Americans and in a reasonable price realm before consideration for goodness even begins.

For the purpose of mentioning what has been good - so far - at the Paris auto show in 2008, a vehicle needs to be impressive all-around. Not just to look at; but in conceptual terms as well. Vehicles that have already been seen at GoodCarBadCar.net need not apply. Here then are the Audi A1 Sportback and Renault Megane Coupe. Check back soon for the bad, the ugly, and the weird.

ALARM! Yes to Phaeton, no to Scirocco?

Stefan Jacoby. Remember that name. I haven't met the man and likely won't, so I hope he won't take this personally.

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Umm... sir. Is 'sir' alright? OK then, Herr Jacoby it is. Maybe it's because you're new to North America, having left Europe and the Volkswagen homeland of Germany, but it seems to me that you don't understand us very well. And by us, I mean everybody who found living on this continent of North America.

We want the Scirocco. You presented the concept but it seems now that was just a tease; a taunt. Since that time, you voiced your fear of the ultra-niche market, suggesting that your lineup would be fragmented with too many niche vehicles.

Also, Herr Jacoby, we don't want the Phaeton. I know, I know, it'd be a different car altogether than the previous boat of a people's car. That car was an offense to our intelligence; acting as if the Audi A8 your company builds isn't more worthy of our serious dollars.

I'll give ya this: you may've seen the pics, the market study, and the pricing scheme. I haven't. Yet a statement like this, "I think it fits perfectly in the market. We will bring it back," could undo any credibility you ever had, not only with VW enthusiasts or the blogosphere, but with financial analysts and S-class, 7-series, XJ, and A8 owners.





Volkswagen's are for people like me, Stefan - regular guys. I don't want to see the biggest, baddest lawyer in the city driving a car with a VeeDub badge on the front. I don't want an awesome commercial like the one seen below to be linked to a barge that does next-to-nothing better than its competitors.

Scirocco and up!; yes. Phaeton; no. You can't seem to figure it out Jacoby, so I did it for you.

HONDA ACCORD HITS THE ROAD

Photography plays tricks. When you look at the picture of the Honda Accord seen here, you think that it's a pleasant (though not pleasing), everyday (and for the everyman), inoffensive (though rarely challenging) and typical (skin-deep) kind of styling job.

Well, I'd consider you half-right. The photo is that of a car, the newest North American Honda Accord, which is pleasant enough to look at; typical of the kind of everyday cars you see, er.... everyday; and inoffensive to the degree that you may've failed to notice the image.

Accord's should have arrived at your local dealership by now, but unless you're in the market for a new midsize sedan, don't bother driving down Automotive Avenue to get a good look at one of this continent's best sellers. If indeed you are looking for a new midsize sedan, the Accord is truly worth a look and a drive.



It sounds as though I'm suggesting the Accord appears boring. In photographs; yes. Real-life still imagery? That too. But in motion, the new Accord has some on-the-road presence. I know, it sounds craaaahzy. We all know the Accord is a recommended purchase, but it's never been meant to challenge the palette of your automotive design taste buds. And though I believe that all cars should excite or ignite or enflame something within my Oil & Fuel-filled veins, the Accord still fails to do so. But, and I mean it, the new Accord carries itself well when seen at 50 km/h. I'm not joking.

Decent wheels help and suitably proportioned; they be. Added flash is not OTT in the least. Rather than clear-lens taillamps - you know who you are - the Accord has some nice circular LED's. Those rear lenses aren't very large, either. At first those small lights might cause you to think the rear end is a bit bulbous, but then you realize that those specks of red amidst a sea of white, the colour of the first moving Accord I saw, is kind of cool.

The biggest design element used by the Accord to gain on-road presence is just that - its bigness. Check out Cars.com stats sheet on the new Accord, then check Cars.com stat sheet on the 2007 model. Scroll down for dimensions. Long, low, wide, lean. All characteristics that eventually lead to down-the-road impact. The new Accord has it. The old didn't.

Need a comparison? Think humanity. The old Accord is the somewhat cool guy who happens to be, like, 51 years old. Fun to be around; steady guy; there when you need him. But hey, he's 51. And it shows.

2008's Honda Accord is the same guy who went on a makeover show on TLC. They didn't colour his hair, but they taught him about good posture, sent him to the gym to bulk up, and only slightly adjusted his wardrobe. He runs faster and longer and carries more of your boxes on moving day. The makeover made a HUGE difference. His wife says he looks 44, and his daughter isn't embarrassed to get a kiss goodbye at school.

Yeah, that's the new Accord in a nutshell.

GENERAL MOTORS PRODUCT PLANS

It's time GoodCarBadCar joins the crowd and reveals to the Good Car Nation what General Motors plans to produce in the next few years. One consequence of the United Auto Workers strike last week is a leaked document. The UAW wanted some manufaturing locations assured, and it's assumed that some plans were revealed by GM to the UAW in a joint effort to cooperate. You want highlights of the plans, and so highlights we will give you.

The fact that Pontiac's Solstice and its Saturn twin, the Sky, will be produced in a new plant in 2012 indicates that they could be all-new by then. Besides that, they'll be sharing the plant in Bowling Green with a redesigned Corvette and Cadillac XLR.....

2011 should see a utility crossover smaller than the Enclave/Outlook/Acadia.....

The CTS, Cadillac's sports sedan, was reviewed at GCBC yesterday. Within two years we'll be seeing a coupe and wagon.....

Hopefully when Buick gets their version of the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu in 2009, it will be as Buickized as the Enclave is now. Completely different, that is, from its Saturn and GMC brethren.....

General Motors boat manufacturing should cease to exist in 2010. The Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS are expected to bid farewell at that time. Expect rear-wheel drive replacements.....

Also in 2010, expect to see a North American version of the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. The Zafira is one of the world's truly flexible vehicles. The Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo will have some serious competition.....

Hummer enthusiasts (you're still reading this blog but may want to avert your eyes during the upcoming H2 review) will consider themselves catered to when GM continues to give life to the brand, at the same time as killing off the H3's partners, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado. This could happen in 2011.....

The bigger-than-Canyon pickups will be all-new in '12 or '13. The SUV's who share a platform with Silverado and Sierra will likely begin production a different year, perhaps 2013 or 2012.....

Finally, the news you want. Expect to see the Volt in 2010. If that seems soon, that's because it is. New Year's Day of that year is only 820 days away. If battery technology makes quick gains, you better believe the Volt will strike in 2010, and sales will be brisk.

CHEVROLET VOLT, ORLANDO, AND CRUZE MAKE APPEARANCES UNDER EIFFEL TOWER

Completed almost 110 years ago, Gustave Eiffel's radio broadcasting and observation tower, one of the world's most famous free-standing structures, now sits over a new engineering marvel. Ironically, French automaker Citroen made use of the Eiffel Tower with 250,000 lights spelling out the company name in 1925. 

Now a foreign manufacturer has pictures on the internet of the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Cruze, and Chevrolet Orlando in a not-so-subtle way of showing their rightfulness in the world market. Few European elements are as un-American as the Eiffel Tower. Even with a replica in Las Vegas, this Paris landmark forms a barrier that speaks volumes about the differences between the United States and, really, the rest of the world.

Dominant in so many things, America's automotive capabilities have not measured up in Europe. General Motors wants that to change with the Cruze and Orlando. The Volt, meanwhile, should stand as a symbol of GM's ability to find solutions with R&D and, to be frank, determination. 

GM would like to be seen for what it once was, the largest home of automotive innovation and engineering. If BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and niche manufacturers continue to be the focus of regard, how can General Motors conquer markets where once it was competitive?

As pictures of the GM's desired future then, the Volt and Cruze and Orlando sit in a place where 200,000,000 people have toured, the world's most visited paid monument.