Million-Dollar ‘Supercar’ Will Be Sold Through U.S. Dealers

Italian supercar manufacturer Pagani Automobili SpA. said today it will enter the U.S. market with its new model called the Huayra. The company says it will begin selling the 700-horsepower car in the U.S. through a dealer network beginning later this year. Its price is expected to be more than $1 million.

Pagani released pictures of the new two-seater and information about its specifications late last month, but its pending availability in the U.S is big news for the speed-addled and well-heeled. Pagani’s current model, the Zonda, has been a perennial leader in top-speed and brute-power contests run by car magazines for the past decade and has been tantalizingly out of reach for many would-be customers in the States.

Pagani will sell the new Huayra through U.S. dealerships.

Named after Huayra Tata, an ancient God of wind, the Huayra has a six-liter, 12-cylinder engine with two turbochargers built by Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance unit, which is responsible for the German company’s most powerful models. The engine breathes through a pair of air intakes behind the occupants that the company describes as “a tribute to the supersonic aircraft of the late 1950s and 1960s.” They were designed to allow air into the engine without unnecessarily disturbing aerodynamics.

Pagani, which is based in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy, says it has built five Huayra prototypes and has been road testing them for the past four years. The test cars have traveled more than 300,000 miles and will cover about 600,000 miles before entering the U.S. market. The company says the car complies with the strictest European and American safety and emissions standards.

The car is to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The company says it will reveal its specific plans for unveiling the Huayra in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

Bring a Wingman When You Buy a Car

What do pilots, police officers and car shoppers all have in common? They work best with a partner - a wingman. Car buying is a difficult process for many people, and although there is an alternate online strategy that can save you much of the hassle, there are times when a trip to the dealership might be the best thing.

That's when a wingman comes in handy. At some point in the purchase process, you'll want to take a test-drive. And, distasteful though it might be, you might need to negotiate or sign contracts in person. At times like these, it's better not to go it alone. But what qualities should you seek in the person who accompanies you? Not just anyone will fill the bill. Having the right person with you at the dealership can help you spot any inconsistencies in the deal, fend off pushy salespeople and create leverage in your negotiations.

At car dealerships, there's safety in numbers.

The Best Wingman Might Be a Woman
The ideal wingman is someone who has a skill you can put to use. Maybe it's a friend who is knowledgeable about cars. Perhaps it's a sibling who is a fearless negotiator. Perhaps it's an in-law who isn't afraid to ask stupid questions. But the wingman emphatically does not have to be a man. Sometimes a car guy can be a liability, particularly if he falls in love with a particular engine or vehicle and inadvertently pressures you into accepting a car that may not best fit your needs. Whether your wingman is male or female, be sure to bring a person who can remain objective and has an eye for detail.

Once you've picked your wingman, you'll need to establish who will do what during the trip to the dealership. If negotiating isn't your strong suit, have your friend handle that aspect while you focus on asking questions. On the other hand, if you're comfortable with negotiating, let your wingman ask the questions and occasionally chime in with an opinion. Your wingman should supplement the skills that might not be your strong suit.

Stay in Close Formation
Don't let yourself get separated from your wingman. If you do, you'll lose your strength in numbers.

Consider what happened to an Edmunds editor and his girlfriend. They had completed negotiations for a car, but were forced to spend an excessive amount of time waiting for the dealership to get the contracts in order. As they made their way to the finance and insurance (F&I) office, the editor made it clear that they didn't want to waste any more time and that they were not interested in being sold any additional services. The F&I manager agreed, but the moment the Edmunds editor stepped out for a cigarette, the F&I team began to push such products and services as paint protection and an extended warranty on the girlfriend. They were clearly hoping she'd be easier to convince.

If you will be test-driving the vehicle during your visit, start by having your wingman keep an eye out for any potential rip-off stickers as you review the car's features. During the test-drive itself, ask the salesperson to ride in the back. This allows you and your wingman to pay closer attention to the car. You might still get the sales pitch, but it is easier to tune out a salesperson when he's in the backseat, rather than at your elbow.

Deploy the Lukewarm Wingman
A wingman can help take some of the heat off you by talking down the car during discussions. Arrange to have him casually mention that he isn't that interested in this particular vehicle - whether he means it or not. Or he can say that he preferred that blue one you saw at the dealership across town. Follow your wingman's lead and express some concerns of your own. This will let the salesperson know that you have other buying options and it puts the pressure on him to make you a better offer. Remaining non-committal diffuses one of the salesperson's most effective weapons: the knowledge that you really want the car in his showroom.

Review the Numbers Together
When it's time to talk numbers, a wingman can either take over the negotiating for you or help spot any inconsistencies in the numbers. He or she can also be on the lookout for any financing pitfalls that you might encounter. While you're busy saying "No" to items in the F&I room, your wingman can make sure that the prices you've agreed upon are reflected in the contract. Pay close attention to any additional fees that appear and don't hesitate to question anything out of the ordinary.

After the ink on the contract has dried, you'll be able to rest easy, knowing that your wingman got you a better deal, spotted an inconsistency or was simply there for moral support. Be sure to thank your wingman and remember what you learned from the experience. You might have to return the favor when it's her time to buy a car.

Five Offbeat Cars Coming in 2011

Ferrari FF

Graft the rear end of a station wagon onto a sports car and you get the Ferrari FF.

Ferrari FF (Courtesy Ferrari)

The FF is supposed to be Ferrari’s most practical model, a supercar the whole family can enjoy. It has four seats and a decently sized trunk, which is why the rear end is designed the way it is.

It will also be the first Ferrari ever to have all-wheel drive. The name “FF” is an acronym that stands for “four seats” and “four-wheel drive.” This car replaces the 612 Scaglietti, which until it ceased production at the end of 2010 was Ferrari’s largest model and the only one with a back seat.

The Ferrari FF’s V12 engine puts out 660 horespower and is good for 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds, Ferrari says.

Actually, the FF’s body style is not without precedent — it’s just obscure. Lamborghini’s Espada from the late 1960s and ’70s had a roof that stretched back like a wagon’s to accommodate a rear seat and trunk. A more recent example is the BMW Z3 Coupe, which — unlike the Ferrari and Lambo — only had two seats.

Here’s a piece of trivia: This type of sporty, stubby wagon is called a “shooting brake” in Europe.

Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai wants this little hatchback to be as cool as a Mini Cooper but more affordable and practical.

Hyundai Veloster (Courtesy Hyundai)

While styling and cool factor are subjective, it does have a larger interior and trunk than the Mini.

What makes it odd is that it has one door on the driver side and two doors on the passenger side. The idea was to keep the shape of a sporty two-door, but to add a rear door on the passenger side for easier access to the back seat.

Hyundai used motorcycles as a design inspiration: The car’s wraparound windshield resembles a helmet visor, and the center console is in the shape of a motorcycle’s gas tank.

A 138-hp four-cylinder engine should make the lightweight Veloster pretty peppy. Hyundai expects it to get 40 mpg on the highway. The car goes on sale this summer.

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

This bulky convertible SUV-type thing comes across much better in person than in photos. It will appeal to yuppies who like drop-tops but don’t care for sports cars and the compromises they bring in comfort and convenience.

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet (Courtesy Nissan)

Nissan is setting modest sales targets for the Murano CrossCabriolet, which shows the company is being realistic about its potential.

Several of the journalists who saw the Murano CrossCabriolet on display at an event in December thought Nissan was crazy for creating it. One even said he wouldn’t be caught behind the wheel and so wouldn’t be test driving it. A Nissan rep at the same event said consumers have responded positively to it.

Say what you will of the design, in person the car looks and feels high end, with a well appointed interior and power-folding fabric top. The trunk and back seat had to be shrunk, and the rear doors are gone to accommodate the convertible roof. Other than that, the specs are similar to a regular Murano.

Range Rover Evoque Coupe

The Evoque is Range Rover’s first vehicle aimed at environmentally conscious young drivers; and for a company that has only ever built large, expensive, gas-guzzling SUVs with go-anywhere capability, it’s a huge deal.

Range Rover Evoque Coupe (Courtesy Land Rover)

In fact, the only reason (or at least the main reason) the Evoque isn’t a car, is because Range Rover refuses to build anything but SUVs for fear of tainting its image. Rightly so.

The Evoque is Range Rover’s smallest, lightest SUV ever. Depending on how it’s configured, it can weigh up to 728 pounds less than the U.S. version of the Land Rover LR2, currently the company’s smallest SUV. Plastic front fenders and an aluminum hood and roof help keep weight down. Opting for front-wheel drive — a first on a Range Rover, and something that would’ve been unthinkable five years ago — instead of the standard four-wheel drive saves 165 pounds.

Its silhouette and overall styling are intentionally car-like — particularly on the two-door model — and much sleeker than the company’s blocky SUVs. The Evoque has been tuned to drive like a sporty luxury sedan on the road. Its four-cylinder engine is small for a Range Rover, so it’s turbocharged to produce a lot of power for its size (240 hp).

Four-door and two-door versions of the Evoque go on sale this fall. Land Rover expects “well equipped” models to sell for around $45,000.

Scion iQ

The Scion iQ is like a mash-up between a Scion xD and a Smart Fortwo.

Scion iQ (Courtesy Toyota)

From the outside, it appears to be a two seater, but there’s actually room in back for one adult and a child. Scion calls it “3 + 1” seating.

That’s because the rear seats aren’t symmetrical — the one on the right is larger than the one on the left. The idea is that the front occupant can move forward to make more room for an adult in back, while a truncated seat behind the driver can accommodate a kid.

It’s a creative use of space and the sort of thing we’re probably going to see more of as cars inevitably get smaller.

The Scion iQ is powered by a tiny four-cylinder engine that produces around 90 hp. As if to preempt any questions around safety, Scion is touting 10 airbags on the iQ, including one that covers the rear window, which the company says is a first.

Scion’s parent company Toyota already sells the iQ in other markets. It goes on sale in the United States this spring.

Automotive Oddities

Strange experiments are happening in the auto industry.

Companies are cross-pollinating different types of vehicles to create new breeds, and the results are sometimes perplexing.

For example, Nissan has turned its pudgy Murano into a convertible. Meanwhile, Range Rover is trying to show some concern for the environment by offering its smallest, most car-like SUV ever, the Evoque.

Both the Murano and Evoque are considered “crossovers,” which by definition are a mixed bag to begin with: They blend attributes of SUVs, wagons and minivans. So it seems these new variations represent the next level of crossing over.

The line between different kinds of cars is also getting hazier, driven in part by a focus on making smaller cars more appealing. Both Hyundai and Scion are launching compact cars that stray from the norm in terms of seating and overall packaging. The intention is to make them more practical and thus appeal to a wider audience.

Six of the Top 12 Greenest Cars

#1: Honda Civic GX

Mileage: 24 city, 36 hwy, per gallon-equivalent

Emissions are a major factor in the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's "Green Car" rankings, which the group has published annually since 1998. That's why the Civic GX tops the list despite fuel economy figures that are lower than the others. It runs on compressed natural, which is much cleaner burning than gasoline.

Emissions are why you won't find any diesel-powered cars on this list. Despite being very efficient, and much cleaner than they were in the past, diesel engines still emit more pollution than the most fuel-efficient gasoline cars.

#2: Nissan Leaf

Mileage: 106 city, 92 hwy, per gallon equivalent

EV rage: 100 miles

The Leaf burns no fuel at all, running purely on electricity. Electric power plants do burn fuel, and that's a factor taken into account in the ACEEE rankings. That's why the Leaf ranks second to the clean-burning Honda Civic GX.

#3: Smart ForTwo

Mileage: 33 city, 41 hwy

The ForTwo, a two-seat car, relies on small size, light weight and a tiny three cylinder engine to get a great "Green Score." Besides contributing the car's fuel efficiency, weight itself was a big factor in the ACEEE's scoring. The assumption is that heavier cars create more waste and emissions in their manufacturing and disposal than lighter cars.

#4: Toyota Prius

Mileage: 51 city, 48 hwy

Hybrid cars rank highly based on fuel economy, but they pay a penalty because of their heavy battery packs. Cars that use nickel-metal batteries, as the Prius does, pay a higher penalty in the rankings because their batteries contain more toxic substances than do the lithium-ion batteries used in most plug-in cars.

#5: Honda Civic Hybrid

Mileage: 40 city, 43 hwy

Because its hybrid system operates differently from that in a Prius, the Civic Hybrid is more efficient in highway driving than in the city. It's also less efficient overall.

#6: Honda Insight

Mileage: 40 city, 43 hwy

Honda launched the Insight as a less costly competitor to the Prius. Despite being a smaller car, its fuel economy is the same as the Civic Hybrid.

Leaf and Prius stomp the Volt on greenest car list

The Chevrolet Volt didn't rank as one of the top-ten "greenest" cars in America, coming at no. 12, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy's annual list.

The fully electric Nissan Leaf ranked second among all 2011 model year cars on the same list. First place went to the compressed natural gas powered Honda Civic GX.

The 2011 Chevy Volt ranked 12th in ACEEE's list.

Vehicles are ranked according to a "Green Score," factoring fuel economy and emissions, including emissions from electric power plants. The relative impact of a vehicle's manufacture and disposal, based on the car's weight, was also considered.

The top 12 cars include gasoline-powered cars, plug-in cars, gasoline/electric hybrids and natural gas powered vehicles. No diesel cars made the top ranks because of their relatively high emissions compared to very fuel-efficient gasoline-powered cars.

The Volt can run on electricity or gasoline. For the purposes of these rankings, the ACEEE assumed the Volt was driven on plug-in electricity 64% percent of the time and on gasoline 36% of the time. The ratio was based on a standard recommended by the Society of Automotive Engineers, an ACEEE spokeswoman said.

"As a gasoline vehicle, the fuel economy's not stellar," said Shruti Vaidyanathan, a spokeswoman for the ACEEE.

When operating under gasoline power, the Volt gets EPA-rated fuel economy of 35 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway.

That's not as good as the third-ranked Smart ForTwo, which gets 41 mpg on the highway, 33 in the city or the fourth-ranked Toyota Prius, which gets 48 on the highway and 51 in the city.

A car's weight is considered an important factor into the rating system, so the Volt's nearly 3,800 pounds dragged its rankings down. The Chevrolet Cruze Eco, a gasoline-powered car that's otherwise very similar to the Volt but weighs 750 pounds less, ranked 8th on the list. Most of the Volt's additional weight comes from its lithium-ion battery pack.

For electric and hybrid cars the organization accounted for battery weight separately. Nickel-metal batteries used in hybrid cars like the Prius have a greater impact, pound for pound, than the less toxic, but far larger, lithium-ion batteries used in the Leaf and Volt.

Weight accounted for roughly 40 pct of the Volt's overall score.

All told, the Volt ended up ranking lower than six non-hybrid gasoline powered cars.

"I find it kind of laughable," said GM spokesman Rob Peterson when told of ranking and the rational behind it.

Peterson objected to the idea that the Volt's weight counted so heavily against the Volt.

"It's one group's interpretation of a measurement of 'green'," he said.

The ACEEE gave every 2011 model year a "Green Score" base on its overall environmental impact. Among the lowest-scoring vehicles of all were the Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Suburban.

The ACEEE is a Washington-based non-profit group dedicated to "advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity," according to its Web site. The group has produced an annual "Green Cars" guide since 1998.

The Future Is Back

Twenty-six-year-old Cameron Wynne is a champion wakeboarder and fan of the electro-funk band Chromeo. His long hair, tanned skin and girlfriend-who-works-in-fashion go a long way toward completing his cool-kid persona. But his beyond-exotic ride provides the finishing touch.

"When I was at the Roosevelt in L.A., they moved a Lamborghini Murcielago so they could park it in front of everything—a Murcielago!" Wynne says. "And they didn't charge me anything. All week."

"It" is Wynne's 1981 DeLorean DMC-12. Yes, that gull-wing stunner best known as the time machine in the 1985 Robert Zemeckis film, Back to the Future. (Wynne's edition is wrapped in black, with matte shard effects that were a 2009 limited-edition design for The Hundreds clothing line.)

Against all expectations—and possibly common sense—the DeLorean is back in limited production, and with it has come a boomlet in DeLoreaniana. Last November Nike's 6.0 Dunk SE DeLorean sneakers sold out online in minutes. A DMC-12 holds a prime spot in Xbox's bestselling Gran Turismo videogame. Next month Mattel's Hot Wheels DeLorean edition will begin its fifth product run in the past year.

Not to mention the car's popularity in the music and film communities. Pop singer Ke$ha drove one to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards; will.i.am owns one; Kanye West and Die Antwoord are vocal fans. The British band Neon Neon devoted its entire 2008 album, Stainless Style, to DeLorean. At least four movie projects—some backed by DeLorean's children—are making the rounds in Hollywood.

When John DeLorean launched the original as a challenge to the Corvette in 1981, its 130hp, 2.8-liter V6 went from 0mph to 60mph in 10.5 seconds. It cost $25,000. Since then the car has garnered both favor and contempt. It became notorious in 1982 when DeLorean, desperate to generate cash (a $27 million stock issue had fallen through), became the target of an FBI investigation into drug trafficking. When the Feds caught him on camera in a Los Angeles Sheraton transferring a suitcase filled with 220 pounds of cocaine and famously saying, "It's as good as gold and just in the nick of time," their case seemed made.

Now, 30 years later, the brand is making a comeback based on its own merits. "People like the car for the car," emphasizes Stephen Wynne, the 54-year-old CEO of DeLorean Motor Co. Along with son Cameron and 16 employees, Wynne is building and restoring DeLoreans at a 40,000-square-foot facility in Humble, Tex., 30 miles north of Houston.

A former mechanic with long caramel bangs, a Carolina Herrera shirt and Prada loafers, Wynne grew up in Liverpool obsessed with cars—his parents' trick to calm him as a toddler was to put him behind the wheel of the family sedan. Wynne moved to California in 1980 and developed an expertise in repairing DeLoreans, since the intricacies of their French-made Peugeot-Renault-Volvo (PRV) engine and Lotus-designed chassis were second nature for someone used to European vehicles. It didn't hurt that he could "talk the same language" when tracking car parts across Europe—back in the day DeLorean cars were assembled in Northern Ireland, thanks to millions of dollars in development incentives from the British government.

While in California Wynne heard that a company called Kapac had DeLorean engineering data and thousands of spare parts lying fallow. In 1997 he bought out Kapac's stocks for under a million dollars and by 1999 was the proud owner of all DeLorean branding rights and subsidiaries.

Today's DeLorean Motor Co. makes about six "new" cars a year—they have stainless-steel reproduction chassis and a combination of new-old stock (NOS), original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and reproduction parts. DMC also sells about 60 certified used DeLoreans annually. (The bulk of the business comes from service, repairs and restoration—and, increasingly, from licensing agreements.) The $57,500 new builds have a few modern options—like a CD player, GPS and iPod/Bluetooth—but their look is identical to those built in the 1980s.

They're fun to drive, too. A DMC-12 is not going to win many drag races (though it will be challenged to them often), but it is nimble enough and feels smooth cruising at 70mph down the interstate. Speed aside, the steering is slightly stiff (power steering is not available); the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals are narrow and sit closely to one another, which requires some adjustment. Headroom inside is limited, but the car is 6 feet wide with ample legroom (good enough for the 6-foot-4 DeLorean himself).

DeLorean positioned his cars as safer and more "ethical" than those produced by GM. But they were panned initially for poor electronics and ill-fitting doors, along with their excessive weight and the tendency of the steel siding to show fingerprints. Stateside quality control and retooling on the doors worked out the kinks in subsequent generations, and the new DeLoreans are built on a lighter chassis and can be wrapped in any color or pattern to protect the steel panels.

Wynne says he has enough original parts to build 500 more new-old cars, including a limited-edition Final Run of 50 to commence production this June. So far, so good: Wynne demurs when asked about profit totals but says DMC revenue has grown to six times the totals of the early 1990s, and last year had an 8% increase in net profits over 2009. When the current supply of parts runs out, the thinking goes, DMC will be able to afford to produce brand-new cars as demand warrants.

The car certainly attracts its share of true believers. The DeLorean factory lot has become a pilgrimage destination. There's the Alabama boy who ran away from home and showed up on Wynne's doorstep, announcing simply: "I'm here." The Canadian friends who drove two days straight to arrive at the shop, see the cars, then drive straight back. The Houston dentist who has delayed his move to Australia until his car exceeds the age limit requiring conversion to right-side drive.

None of this adulation would have surprised DeLorean himself, who built 9,000 DMC-12s before his FBI bust. His biography was 1980s pop-culture lore: A shining star at GM who developed the Pontiac GTO, DeLorean had a flamboyant lifestyle (chest-hair-displaying V-necks, gold chains, a preference for, as he put it, "women who are dramatically less educated than I") that clashed with Detroit's conservative culture. DeLorean decamped to create a vehicle that he hoped would herald a new era of American-branded cars, tapping high-profile investors like Johnny Carson and Sammy Davis Jr., and lining up bank loans and partnerships.

Though he would eventually beat the drug charges—jurors ruled in 1984 that he had been entrapped—DeLorean faced ongoing fraud lawsuits. He spent years wrangling over delinquent mortgage payments and legal fees. In 2000 he had to sell his 434-acre Bedminster, N.J. estate to what became a Trump National Golf Club. He died in March 2005 at age 80.

Wynne calls DeLorean "a visionary" who had "terrible timing." Indeed, the original DeLorean company could be compared with what Tesla is trying to do today. Both had charismatic leaders (Elon Musk in Tesla's case), were founded during deep economic recessions, were priced high for the time (Tesla's Roadster starts at $109,000; $25,000 in 1981 would buy a small house), received government funding, and were built on the back of Lotus engineering. Both presented a radically different concept of what an American-made car should be. But Wynne just smiles when asked whether DMC will launch its own electric model. He lets on that the DMC-12 is well suited to such a configuration.

The Tesla comparison is not one Musk apparently relishes. "The thing that ticks me off," Wynne notes, "is the many times Musk has said, ‘We're not another DeLorean—we're in it for the long run.' It cracks me up—does he realize how similar the dynamics are?"

Not to mention the fact that 30 years down the road DeLoreans are still turning heads.

DeLorean World
Where you'll see DMC

CEO Stephen Wynne is careful about licensing his brand. He turned down a "substantial" offer from Grand Theft Auto, for instance, because he didn't want DeLorean associated with its violent and drug-riddled content.

"We took some flak from the gamers," he says. "But it didn't sit right with me."

Here are some licensing proposals DMC did agree to.

- Nike 6.0 Dunk SE DeLorean. The $90 sneaks started listing for $400 on eBay the day after they sold out online. Nike designers visited DMC during production to re-create DeLorean taillights in the sole of the shoes. The kicks came packaged in a silver box that opened on either side like gull-wing doors.

- Mattel Hot Wheels DeLorean edition. The tiny cars sold 400,000 units last year in the fourth quarter alone. A special Back to the Future version is due out this spring.

- Xbox Gran Turismo. Sony approached DMC "very early," Wynne said, but he turned them down. "They offered me a dollar for the licensing, and I said no—you're missing some zeros here. They came back two years later with some real money."

- The Hundreds. The L.A.-based design shop is heavily influenced by southern California's skateboarding and surf punk culture. The Hundreds partnered with DMC to produce a special run of DeLorean T-shirts and a wrap option for the DMC-12.