Chrysler 300 hybrid coming in 2013

Hybrids have been a mixed bag at Chrylser (remember the short-lived Durango and Aspen hybrids or the on-again-off-again Ram hybrid?), but a new report from Automotive News indicates that a gasoline-electric drivetrain is back on the table for the Pentastar automaker.

During this year’s Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly confirmed that hybrid power will be making its way under the hood of the updated 2011 Chrysler 300. This hybrid powertrain is expected to be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and is earmarked for roll-out in 2013.

Hybrids are slowly becoming more and more popular amongst luxury automakers. Lexus already has an electrified version of its GS sedan – the GS 450h – and both Audi and BMW are working to bring hybrids to market in the mid-range luxury segment, too, via the 5 Series ActiveHybrid and A6 Hybrid.

At $47,010 (including destination), the 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe isn’t exactly cheap. Still, Matthew Russell, BMW product and technology PR rep, says it’s “the most affordable M BMW has ever sold, adjusting for inflation, including the original E30 M3.” That car cost around $34,000 when it was introduced in 1988. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Russell is more than right: $34,000 in 1988 had the same buying power as $62,885 in 2010.

With rumors of BMW getting into front-wheel-drive cars, we asked Dr. Kay Segler, president of BMW M GmbH, if M could do a FWD car. Segler said, “I haven’t thought about that,” and went on to remark that he couldn’t see doing a sub-1-Series M car. Russell elaborated with, “There are rumors about what is coming, but those aren’t from us.” As to other rumors about whether the coupes will be limited or capped in number, we were told categorically, “No.” But that was amended with, “But they will be hard to get.”

2012 Chevy Camaro Convertible configurator pops its top

The time has come to virtually create your own modern-retro (an oxymoron? Not these days…) muscle car convertible. That’s right, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro convertible configurator is now online. The base price for a standard-grade 1LT model with a V6 comes in at $29,150. Stepping up to the top-level SS model will empty the wallet to the tune of $39,650… but if you’re like us you will end up closer to $50,000.

To get there, we threw on the RS package and blacked-out 21-inch wheels along with the dealer-installed ground effects package. However, once we looked to the cost summary and saw $49,635 we began to backtrack a wee bit on the options. We ended up at $47,920 for a tasty new Camaro Convertible painted up in classic white with orange racing stripes.

Head on over to the Chevrolet Camaro convertible configurator and see what your ideal setup will cost you.

Chevrolet Volt, Ford Explorer named Detroit Free Press Car and Truck of the Year

As more and more Car and Truck of the Year awards pour in from a variety of major publications, it’s no shock that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt continues to take home top honors as the best car of 2011. Both Motor Trend and Automobile have deemed the Volt their Car of the Year, and General Motors’ high-profile EV is even a finalist for the prestigious North American Car of the Year award. (Our readers, however, would apparently rather see that honor go to the 2011 Hyundai Sonata). Thus, it’s no surprise that the Volt was just named Car of the Year by The Detroit Free Press.

Similarly, the 2011 Ford Explorer is in the running for North American Truck of the Year, and the Detroit Free Press is honoring it as the best ‘truck’ of 2011. Freep auto critic Mark Phelan states that in the road ahead, automakers must choose the “right shade of green” for each type of vehicle. Phelan explains:

“The Volt allows most owners to go weeks or months without stopping at a gas pump. The Explorer recasts America’s best-selling SUV in a fuel-efficient new form based on the same chassis as the Ford Taurus large sedan.”

Facing high gas prices, dealers get cautious with big SUVs

The average gas price in the U.S. is over $3 right now, and there’s a good chance it’ll go higher before too long. What do you do in this situation if you’re a car dealer with a lot full of SUVs and big crossovers? You start being cautious.

That’s the takeaway point from an Automotive News article, with the key quote coming from a New York Ford dealer, who told the industry publication:

SUVs are still important in this area, but people are downsizing to more fuel efficient SUVs instead. We are still stocking with the idea that it may go either way. Hoping for the best, but prepared for anything.

For the moment, gas prices aren’t high enough to make people panic and try to offload their gas hogs the way we saw in 2008, but Kelley Blue Book analyst Alec Gutierrez told Automotive News that SUV sales could drop “dramatically” once gas reaches $3.50 or $4 a gallon, saying, “The days where a dealer could just go to auction and stock up on a bunch of SUVs and hold them for 40 or 60 days are over.”