Sleuth: The Week of August 17

Hot off the press!

Mercedes hybrid hits power snag: Gas/electric hybrid vehicles are seen as the next logical step away from gasoline as a power source and most manufacturers are hitting the hybrid highway. However, Mercedes-Benz might have to put the brakes on its ML 450 hybrid plans due to a supplier dispute. Michigan’s Cobasys LLC was slated to supply the batteries for the Mercedes hybrid sport-utility vehicle ML 450, but Cobasys has apparently not delivered the goods, at least not to M-B’s satisfaction. A lawsuit filed by Mercedes-Benz claims that Cobasys failed to honor its battery supplying commitment and that it also tried to cover up its current financial situation, according to the Tuscaloosa News newspaper. Whatever the situation, the dispute means that Mercedes missed its June production goal for the ML 450 — which was slated to be the automaker’s first hybrid — with the fate of the program left up in the air.

Who’s gunning for the title of world’s fastest car? During the 1990s, the fastest “production” street car in the world was the McLaren F1. This amazing machine was eventually dethroned by the Bugatti Veyron, but it took 1,000 horsepower to do it. Now, Gordon Murray, the designer of the F1, is reportedly looking for a little payback. In fact Gordon Murray Design wants to build a compact and lightweight supercar with mega-power coming from a small displacement engine that would also have relatively low emissions. Earlier this year, Caparo, one of the investors in Gordon Murray Design, announced plans to build street-legal versions of its T1 track car and a small city micro car, code-named T25. The new supercar might not necessarily be based on or in any way be similar to the T1, and unlike the city car, it might be marketed and sold by the company, most likely under the Caparo badge.

“Entry” Rolls to debut at Swiss auto show: Rolls-Royce’s development of an all-new “entry-level” sedan is progressing on schedule and it looks as though the baby Rolls, code-named RR4 and NGS (New Generation Sedan), is slated for a March reveal. According to a new Car Magazine report, Rolls-Royce is readying the RR4 for a debut at March’s Geneva (Switzlerland) Motor Show. However, just as Rolls-Royce previewed the Phantom Drophead and Coupe with 100EX and 101EX concepts, respectfully, look for the RR4 to show up in concept-guise at the Geneva show. Rolls-Royce CEO Ian Robertson recently told reporters that the introduction of a new smaller and entry-level model will likely double the yearly output to about 1,600 cars.

Aston set for new supercar: Aston Martin (which is now owned by India’s Tata Motors, the builder of the $2,500 car) is close to taking the wraps off a stunning new production car, dubbed the One-77. As one might gather from the car’s name, Aston’s newest supercar will see a limited production run with only 77 units being built. Under the One-77’s sleek hood is a 7.0-liter V12 with a yet-to-be-disclosed power output. However, the Sleuth hears that the new engine will be enough to rocket the One-77 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of more than 200 mph. The body will reportedly be crafted out of aluminum while the chassis will be made from lightweight carbon fiber. Aston plans to have the car completely finished by the end of this year with sales starting in late 2009.

Chrysler, Nissan partnership rumors running fast and furious: There is a movement taking place that could lead to a major shakeup in the Detroit Three. Chrysler and Nissan are talking about building mid-sized passenger cars together. Currently their joint projects include a small car built by Nissan for Chrysler and a pick-up truck built by Chrysler for Nissan. The new agreement would involve Nissan-designed and built cars rebadged as Chryslers and sold in the North American market, the Sleuth hears.Chrysler is focusing on its strong markets that include trucks, sport-utility vehicles and minivans, though sales of these vehicles are at an all-time low.

Market indicators

International influence: With the unexpected but welcome boost in sales of the Honda Fit in the United States due to high gas prices, Honda is considering bringing other small cars over from its home market of Japan. Sales of the Fit small hatchback jumped 73 percent in July from the same period in 2007. Such a decision would certainly mirror General Motors’ and Ford’s plans to bring over smaller, more fuel-efficient cars from its European markets, but specifics on Honda’s plans are in short supply. The Sleuth hears that the company is considering a pair of wagons, although it’s taking a wait-and-see approach to see if the current market trend continues.

Car-to-car communication: The future of vehicle safety is moving more toward in-car electronic systems that will be able to prevent crashes and the European Union (EU) has taken a major step to lay the groundwork for some of that automated safety gear. The EU enacted a new regulation that reserves an EU-wide frequency band for automotive use. The latest step is just one part of the EU’s 2006 Intelligent Car Initiative that’s intended to reduce vehicle collisions and congestion throughout Europe and will likely lead to similar things here. Although no current vehicles have the technology to use the new frequency, by the turn of the decade General Motors and Ford vehicles are expected to be equipped with the technology to “talk” to each other, as well as warn drivers about upcoming traffic jams or traffic collisions. North America and Japan have already enacted similar regulations to protect frequencies for vehicle applications.