Sleuth: The Week of April 13

Hot off the press!

Camaro Super Sport might get a 550-plus-horsepower supercharged V8: By now everyone knows about the look and shape of the new Chevrolet Camaro that’s due to hit dealer lots next year as a 2010 model. But the Sleuth has the real dirt on what comes after that. During testing at Germany’s famed Nürburgring race circuit, the Sleuth spotted the latest prototype: the range-topping Super Sport — or SS — model. It has Brembo brand brakes, a treatment normally reserved for very high-performance models, and an air intake sitting way out front of the engine in the cold air. Chevy parent General Motors is tight-lipped about what V8 will be used, but sources have indicated the car will get a version of the supercharged powerplant used in the Cadillac CTS-V and Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Sounds like a winner as the car tries to gain back what was lost to the Ford Mustang when the last Camaro was dropped.

Cadillac readies CTS wagon: The Sleuth hears that General Motors is close to finalizing the design for a Cadillac CTS wagon. Spies report that it will debut later this year or early next. The wagon has a shape almost reminiscent of the forthcoming CTS Coupe. The beltline — the crease where the side glass meets the top of the doors — rises dramatically toward the rear and, unlike the coupe’s centered exhaust, the wagon has two separate exhaust outlets. The taillights reach all the way to the roof, tapering to thin shards as they rise. Cadillac has managed to pack aggressive styling into a wagon without excessively compromising cargo space. Will wagons sell? There’s probably one in your neighbor’s driveway.

Lexus ramps up new models to increase sales: In a quest to dramatically increase sales in the next few years, Lexus has a simple plan: offer more models. Over the next few years, the luxury/performance division of Toyota will move into some uncharted waters, including a premium small car and more performance models. In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Lexus Australia chief executive John Roca said that the performance F-line will expand to more vehicles than just the IS sedan. The GS range will receive an F model — to compete with the likes of the BMW M5 — and Lexus is actually considering an F variation of the range-topping LS sedan. Both models could be powered by V10 powerplants. Roca also said that Lexus is developing a new high-volume model that would compete with the BMW 1-series and Audi A3. Lexus is also preparing coupe and convertible versions of the IS sedan.

Second-gen BMW Hydrogen 7 drops gasoline safety net: Munich, Germany’s, premium automaker has announced it has developed the second generation of its Hydrogen 7. The original, a hydrogen-powered version of the flagship 7-series sedan, began as a lease program for high-profile clientele in 2006. That car could run on hydrogen and gasoline (so drivers were never stranded if they couldn’t find hydrogen), but the latest iteration will only run on hydrogen. Unlike typical hydrogen vehicles from General Motors, Toyota and Honda, which use a hydrogen fuel cell to convert hydrogen into electricity, the BMW Hydrogen 7 combusts hydrogen in the same way that a gasoline engine does. The Hydrogen 7 even uses a version of the 6.0-liter V12 found in the road-going 760Li, which allows for the capability to run on either hydrogen or gasoline. BMW says that the hydrogen-only version of the car will show improvements in range and performance. BMW is expected to give full details later this year. Now all we need is hydrogen at the gas pumps.

Mercedes might buy into Aston Martin: Well, if a whole week has gone by, there must be a takeover in the works. A new report suggests Mercedes-Benz is looking to buy heavily into Aston Martin. Right now, the company’s majority shareholder is Kuwait-based Investment Dar, and Kuwaiti Investment Authority owns seven percent of Daimler AG, MB’s parent, according to Autocar magazine. With only three models in its line-up — the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage — Aston Martin is a relatively small automaker and could certainly use the cash infusion and collaboration with a bigger manufacturer such as Mercedes. If this news is to be trusted and the deal goes through, expect the next-generation aluminum-chassis Mercedes-Benz SL hardtop convertible to be a basis for an Aston Martin flagship as well, and other models with very similar mechanical specs.

Market indicators

Ford quality: The company recently released the results of a quality study it commissioned, one where it interpreted its statistical performance as on par with Japanese automakers Honda and Toyota. According to Ford, the study revealed the company’s domestic brands in the first quarter for 2008 improved eight percent compared to last year with 1,284 things-gone-wrong per 1,000 vehicles during the first three months of ownership, whereas Honda and Toyota scored around 1,250 faults. Detroit-based RDA Group performed the study. It’s the latest move in Ford’s attempt to overcome the perception gap the public has when it comes to Ford vehicle quality, which typically ranks at or near the top in many categories.

V12 engines: Green issues? Smaller engines? Pah! Audi has big plans for big engines. So does Cadillac and BMW and now the Sleuth has it on good information that Land Rover is working on a high-performance version of its Range Rover luxury sport ute that will include a V12. It certainly appears Land Rover is trying to move even further up-market. The next-generation 2013 Range Rover is rumored to offer Bentley-like levels of luxury and pricing as high as $200,000. Might this V12 version of the current Range be a stepping stone to the next level?