Porsche Macan ; made in Indonesia ??

Porsche is planning to introduce the Macan for the 2014 model year. It will be the smallest SUV built by Porsche but in some ways it will be closer to its roots than the larger models. 

Porsche, after all, is known for its sports car production. The company received a lot of criticism for widening its line with the four-door Panamera and the Cayenne SUV. But these models proved to be successful for Porsche as they broadened the customer base and even appealed to Porsche traditionalists who were seeking greater utility than the sports cars. Their success with the new models lies in their increased space, but also in the translation of the Porsche driving experience to the larger vehicles as well as their provocative design. So now comes the Macan.

The Macan will be a smaller SUV based off the Audi Q5 platform. This puts the size among the smaller of the SUVs, competitive to the Q5 but also the Volkswagen Tiguan, Range Rover Evoque, BMW X3, and Mercedes Benz GLK. Nobody will buy a small Porsche SUV for serious off-roading, so just who is the target market and how will the vehicle be used?

In the 1950’s, ‘60’s and into the ‘70s, moms with kids favored the old station wagons. Who can forget the fake contact paper “wood” on the sides of those smelly, gas-guzzling sleds? In the 1980’s and ‘90s, soccer moms moved to the ever-practical minivans pioneered first by Lee Iacocca at Chrysler. Minivans gave way to SUVs. Soccer moms loved their large Chevy Suburbans, GMC Yukon Denalis, Ford Expedition and Excursions, Cadillac Escalades, and in their most extreme form, the Hummer. And even dads liked these vehicles as they were comfortable, spacious, macho, and could handle the occasional off-road duty. But gas prices have largely killed this segment both economically and politically. So that paved the path for mid sized SUVs and crossovers. These vehicles have garnered the focus of manufacturers for their utility and relative fuel efficiency. But lately they have received more attention from automakers with more daring design and performance. People looking for more utility than sedans or sports cars but with performance and flair have flocked to this segment. The Porsche models fit into this category.

Not a lot is known about the Macan at this stage. Porsche has released a video teaser that shows active young men and women all engaged in outdoor activities, and even the obligatory soccer mom with two young boys. Expect the marketing and positioning for the vehicle to be lifestyle focused. It is doubtful that the Macan will be viewed as a serious utility vehicle. The Q5 is about eight inches shorter than the Cayenne so expect the Macan to be similarly reduced. The height likely will be three to four inches lower than the Cayenne and should sit lower to the ground. Front seats will be the focus with plentiful space and sport bolstering but the rear should be a kids-only domain with room for two and a half. Pity the half. Cargo space will be minimal with seats up but more utilitarian with seats down. But who seriously buys a Porsche to transport stuff?

The design sketches look like a raised and shortened version of the four-door Panamera. According to the sketches, the front and back ends are typically Porsche. The side views are dominated by ultra large wheels (likely to be right-sized for production), and a chopped greenhouse (likely to be raised for production). So the final design likely will look more like a baby Cayenne with a lower, shorter, and more raked profile.

Who will buy the Porsche Macan?

The target will be young people who need more than a sports car but can’t bear to move to a Ford Explorer or a Chevy Acacia and who can’t afford the Cayenne or a Range Rover. They would prefer to be driving a Cayman or Carrera but know they need space for the kids. With an expected price in the $45-50,000 range, this should limit buyers to active, wealthier 30-45 year old couples with young kids. How big is this market? Not huge, but it is a gap for Porsche and large enough to be worth spending a half a billion dollars to adapt a Q5. It’s something to look forward to.

Lamborghini Madura

The lamborghini Madura was brought to life by Slavche Tanevsky, a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany. The vehicle is a more eco-friendly concept car to be produced by the Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini in the year 2016. This environmentally sound vehicle, although not the first of its kind, maintains the speed and performance that Lamborghini has become known for.

The Lamborghini Madura was created in collaboration with Audi as well as Lamborghini designers for Lamborghini's Raw Materials project.^[1] The project allows students at the University of Applied Sciences^] in Munich, Germany to design a car body and propose it to the major designers at Lamborghini. Slavche Tanevski, a student at the University, proposed this body style as well as hybrid concept to the designers, and his super-car idea has become a sensation among hybrid enthusiasts around the world. Aside from proposing the idea for a hybrid super-car, Tanevski has given other contributions to the Lamborghini company such as the Lamborghini Ankonian. The Madura body design was meticulously sculpted and manages to resemble other Lamborghini vehicles as the design will invoke aggressive body lines, a sleek interior, as well as a slightly more environmentally friendly engine. The drivetrain of this vehicle is placed in the front-mid section of the body of the car allowing Tanevski to create radical rear end body lines. The car's engine, as stated by Lamborghini officials, will maintain the same basic setup as other cars and will utilize 10-12 cylinders all while keeping a high amount of horsepower, as many Lamborghini vehicles have become known for.^[2] As for the body of the car, it utilizes large, slender headlights with bulky air intakes underneath, in order to accentuate the cars width.^[3]

As some car enthusiasts may be aware of, Lamborghini has always named their vehicles in the spirit of Spanish culture such as bulls, bull fights and famous places in time. This symbolic naming system was proposed by car company creator, as well as tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini, due to his immense love of Spanish culture as well as heritage.^[4] In the spirit of his ideas, Lamborghini continues to name their vehicles in this way and has managed to come up with the name Madura for their concept vehicle. The name Madura arose from the island Madura in Indonesia which is famous for its large scale bull races and bull fights.^[5][6]

Ford Explorer Best-in-class combination of V6 horsepower and fuel economy.8

Fully capable to handle whatever you throw at it

The 2013 Ford Explorer is incredibly capable. It starts with the structure – strong and supportive, thanks to high-tech materials and advanced forming

technology. 

 To help you handle everything from rugged off-roading to snow-covered roadways, there’s the available Intelligent 4WD with Terrain Management System.™ For your peace of mind, Curve Control, an enhancement to AdvanceTrac^® with Roll Stability Control,™ delivers enhanced control in turns. Open the door. The Explorer offers up to seven-passenger seating capacity and seats that fold down for cargo space on demand – up to 80.7 cubic feet of space. You expect capability in an SUV. Explorer delivers it.

  

An impressive performance

The 2013 Explorer offers the available 2.0L I-4 EcoBoost^® engine, delivering 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque across a wide 1,750–4,000 rpm range. The standard 3.5L V6 engine features the best-in-class combination of V6 horsepower and fuel economy* (unsurpassed 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque). With all that power and torque, Explorer can tow up to 5,000 lbs. when properly equipped.** An impressive performance indeed.

  

The smartest Explorer ever. 

The 2013 Explorer features some incredibly innovative and smart features. For example, there are lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist to help keep you in control. Explorer features the world’s first automotive production inflatable rear safety belts that spread crash forces over more areas of the body compared to conventional safety belts. Available adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support scans traffic ahead of you, providing an alert and precharging the brakes if it senses a collision with the vehicle in front of you. AdvanceTrac^® with Roll Stability Control™ features Curve Control to help provide even more control. There are even available headlamps that automatically change modes, going from low beam to high beam to provide enhanced illumination when you need it. In the 2013 Explorer, smart features help provide you with peace of mind.

Groundbreaking technology that lets you do more.

The technology can make your driving experience much more convenient. Take, for example, available SYNC^® with MyFord Touch^{® 27} – the easy-to-use in-car connectivity system. With simple voice commands, you can make phone calls, choose music, control your climate and more without taking your eyes off the road. Another feature, the available voice-activated Navigation System with integrated SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link³⁴, provides weather forecasts, traffic updates, fuel prices – even movie times. Yes, there's much more to the Ford Explorer than outstanding performance and flexibility.

Russian Kombat T98 armored SUV is more of a luxurious tank

The Dartz Kombat T98 SUV from Russia looks like a cross between a Hummer and a tank, and that connection apparently shows up in the name as well (T9 tanks). The SUV comes with steel plated doors and 3-inch windows, and enough armor to keep the passengers protected from attacks, ranging from bullets from an AK 47 to rocket propelled grenades.

The Dartz T-98 has been noted as one of the fastest multiterrain armored vehicles in the world, boasting an 8.1-liter engine and made with parts courtesy of General Motors. The Hummer H1 is often considered to be the most desirable of the Humvee makes, being the first of the now famous line introduced by AM General and also valued for its (relatively) efficient gas mileage. Coincidentally, the Hummer brand is also associated with GM, which had to part with the line as part of its bankruptcy settlement. So how much do they have in common versus how much they don't have in common? Well, I'll let you be the judge, as this video puts both vehicle types to the test in various environments including highways, sand dunes, forests, and snow. Enjoy. Or not. It's no big deal, right?