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Dale Earnhardt is buried back in the woods behind his farm in North Carolina. No, you can’t visit the gravesite. In NASCAR, that is called a “lost marketing opportunity.” But Dale’s third and final wife, Teresa, wants it that way.
Lexus has once again triumphed in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey, taking top spot in both the manufacturer and model categories.
The Lexus IS came first in the long-running survey, while the RX took third position, helping the manufacturer take a record eleven years at the top.
But while Lexus owners are driving around with smug grins on their faces, Vauxhall and Ford drivers are easily recognised by their scowls – the Ford Ka was ranked bottom in the poll while Vauxhall was the worst performing manufacturer as a whole.
While the Lexus IS scored 85.4 percent, just pipping the Honda Accord’s 85.2 percent, the Ford Ka came last out of the 108 cars featured, with a score of just 74.1 percent – well below the industry average of 79.4 percent.
The soon to be replaced Kia Rio was just above the Ka with 74.6 percent, while the Vauxhall Corsa also won little favour with 74.9 percent.
Jim Holder, editor of the survey’s compiler What Car? said: “Lexus’s achievement is remarkable. Eleven years at the top of Britain’s most thorough customer survey is testament to its ability to build great cars and unstinting attention to customer service. The individual results for the IS and RX, with first and third highest overall satisfaction scores, should also give buyers of these cars unrivalled peace of mind.”
The survey assesses cars on four key areas – vehicle appeal, quality and reliability, ownership costs and dealer satisfaction – and looks at vehicles that are an average of two years old.
Top five models:
1 Lexus IS – 85.4%
2 Honda Accord – 85.2%
3 Lexus RX – 84.3%
4 Honda CR-V – 84.2%
5 Toyota Prius – 83.9%
Bottom five models:
104 Mitsubishi Colt – 75.3%
105 Suzuki SX4 – 75.0%
106 Vauxhall Corsa – 74.9%
107 Kia Rio – 74.6%
108 Ford Ka – 74.1%
Top five manufacturers:
1 Lexus – 84.5%
2 Honda – 83.3%
3= Jaguar – 82.5%
3= Skoda – 82.5%
5 MINI – 82.2%
Bottom five manufacturers:
24 Mitsubishi – 77.3%
25 Peugeot – 77.1%
26 Chevrolet – 76.6%
27 Suzuki – 76.4%
28 Vauxhall – 76.3%
Source:
Porsche’s next 911, known internally as the 991, marks a big change for the iconic model. Big, that is, in terms of size. While it rides on a thoroughly reworked version of the current 996/997 platform, it will be visibly larger. Set to be unveiled this fall at the Frankfurt auto show and go on sale as a 2012 model, the 991 gets a longer wheelbase to accommodate its airier interior. The cabin’s materials and console layout will be nicer, too, with more than a passing resemblance to the Panamera’s.
Porsche started work on the 991 under former R&D chief Wolfgang Drheimer, now at Bentley and Bugatti, and the former CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking. After Volkswagen assumed control of Porsche, styling changes were reportedly incorporated at the “request” of Ferdinand Pich.
Given the next 911’s longer wheelbase, we expect a more supple ride without a corresponding sacrifice in dynamic competence. Like every 911 before, the new model will remain rear-engined. Rear-wheel drive will, of course, be standard, and all-wheel drive—an option since the 1989 Carrera 4—will be available. The standard engine will be the naturally aspirated flat-six, likely in two displacements, as is currently the case. We don’t expect huge power increases, but Porsche will employ electric-assist steering to aid efficiency and some weight-saving measures such as more aluminum body panels.
The Turbo will remain at the top of the portfolio, and there are even plans for a hybrid version. More unexpectedly, Porsche might also offer a turbocharged flat-four. Such a model would be easy to justify historically—the 356 was a four, as was the 912. But a turbocharged four could get awfully close to the naturally aspirated six and dilute the “Turbo” moniker, which is still associated with the top-hole 911s.
Predictably, there will be a coupe and a convertible body as well as numerous variations, such as future GT2 and GT3 models. Their successive launches mean that the current 997 and the new 991 will be built alongside each other for a while.
Porsche knows the Cayman’s mid-engine arrangement is dynamically superior to the 911’s, but the latter’s rear-engine layout enables usable rear seats. Plus, it helps to create those classic proportions. With Porsche venturing off into formerly unknown territory such as the small-SUV and sedan markets, the classic look provides a tether to Porsche’s past. And heritage is becoming an ever-larger part of the 911’s selling proposition as it faces fierce new competition, including everything from the Audi R8 and the
to boulevard cruisers such as the BMW 6-series and the .
Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/11q1/2012_porsche_911_991_-feature