Ten Cars You Can't Buy in the U.S.

The U.S. has restrictions when it comes to cars that can be purchased here, but it wasn't always that way.

She may be the land of plenty, but when it comes to purchasing certain cars, the U.S. falls short.

Wheels from French automakers Peugeot, Citroen and Renault aren't sold in the States. American buyers can't have Italian brands other than those of high-end makers Ferrari and Maserati. They also can't register many of Germany's new, diesel-powered passenger cars in five states, including New York and California, because of tough emissions rules.

It wasn't always that way.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, American buyers had a wide choice of French and Italian cars. They might not have been very reliable, but their styling, comfort, ride and handling added spice to the automotive melting pot.

Today that pot is rather bland. Peugeot, the last remaining French brand in the U.S. market, abruptly pulled the plug on its underperforming U.S. subsidiary in 1991, done in by high prices and poor quality, which made them unsuited for the market, especially in light of the new competition from Lexus and Infiniti from Japan.

Neither it nor other French brands has come back, even though by all accounts, their products are much improved. And Alfa Romeo and Fiat are long gone from the U.S. market.

When they left, the French and Italian brands were fat and lazy, with huge domestic market shares that were practically guaranteed by their home governments, which maintained high tariffs between European countries.

After 1992, the European Community ushered in a new era of freer competition that created a more even playing field for imported cars. Fiat, for instance, nearly went broke as its Italian market share fell, but in the long run the French and Italians hung on and have come back in Europe stronger than before. Today, they can afford to invest in a U.S. distribution channel, and their products are much more suitable for U.S. buyers, especially in terms of quality.

Take the Peugeot 4007 SUV. You would think at least some American buyers would like to buy it. Even though $3 gasoline has torpedoed U.S. demand for big domestic SUVs, import luxury-brand SUVs like Land Rover, the Porsche Cayenne and the Mercedes GL-Class have prospered.

Yet nobody expects Peugeot back anytime soon, nor sister company Citroen, which makes a distinct version of the 4007 called the C-Crosser. The closest American buyers can get is a Mitsubishi Outlander, which was developed in a three-way cooperative effort among the brands.

Italian Renaissance

Unlike the French makers, Italian brands Alfa Romeo and Fiat, which belong to parent company Fiat S.p.A., appear ready for a comeback.

Fiat quit selling cars in the U.S. under the Fiat brand in the mid-1980s; it had a poor quality reputation summed up by the acronym, "Fix It Again, Tony." (Fiat also owns the Maserati brand, which it relaunched in the U.S. market in 2002, after a 12-year absence.) Alfa Romeo quit in 1995, after a shaky alliance with then-Chrysler. The No. 1 Alfa dealer in the U.S. sold only 28 cars in 1994, according to Automotive News.

But Fiat Auto CEO Sergio Marchionne has said Alfa would return to the U.S. market, but not before the end of 2008. Alfa Romeo's mainstream models are the Brera Coupe and Spider convertible. The brand also has shown a high-end sports car, the 8C Competizione, at auto shows. And speculation persists on whether the company could export a higher-performance version of the tiny, redesigned Fiat 500 to the U.S. market. It would compete with the Mercedes Smart car and BMW's Mini brand.

Pump Busters

Modern diesels are an especially logical choice for a comeback, now that fuel efficiency is on the radars of U.S. consumers.

Fuel-efficient diesels dominate today's European market, and German automakers are preparing to launch a host of so-called "50-state" diesels sellable in the entire U.S. market, starting next year.

Thanks in part to low-sulfur diesel fuel mandated by the U.S. government since 2006, today's diesel engines are quiet, powerful and not smoky — unlike the diesels in the Peugeot 505 of the mid-1980s. And diesel engines get about 30 percent more miles to the gallon versus the same-size gasoline engine.

What does all this mean for you? If you’re a car enthusiast who likes choice, the list of cars you can’t buy in America might soon get shorter.

Alfa Romeo Spider V6 model
About $46,377

The 1967 movie The Graduate made the Alfa Romeo Spider a pop culture icon, but poor quality and financial problems for parent Fiat S.p.A knocked the brand out of the U.S. market in 1995. Several product generations later, the latest Spider could help launch a U.S. comeback in the next few years. In Europe, engine choices include a 260-hp 3.2-liter V6.


Aston Martin Vanquish S
About $360,000

The Vanquish S, last offered in the U.S. market for the 2006 model year, is Aston Martin's fastest-ever, street-legal car, with a hand-built, 6.0-liter V12 engine that generates 520hp. It is theoretically a four-seater, but European customers can replace the cramped rear seats with a luggage shelf. Ford Motor sold Aston Martin to a group of investors earlier this year.

Audi S3
About $39,700

The S3 is a high-performance version of the A3, which is available in the U.S. The S3 has a 265-hp, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. However, the S3 has two strikes against it with U.S. buyers: It's a boxy two-door and it's a hatchback, which is not a popular body style. The A3 is a four-door, and looks like a station wagon.


BMW 1 Series
Estimated U.S. Starting Price: Around $30,000

Germany's BMW AG introduced the four-door hatchback 1 Series in the fall of 2004, but not for the U.S. market. America will get an all-new 1 Series coupe along with the rest of the world, starting in early 2008. The U.S. gets two six-cylinder variants, the 230-hp 128i and the 300-hp 135i. The European hatchback model has smaller engine options and diesel available.

Citroen C6
About $54,000

The Citroen C6 flagship sedan has a 3.0-liter, 215-hp V6 gasoline engine, or a choice of two diesels. Cool features include a head-up display for the driver. Also, to meet European safety standards for low-speed pedestrian impacts, the hood automatically raises slightly in case of an impact, to create a small "crumple zone" between the hood and hard points under the hood.

Fiat 500
About $14,000

Fiat launched the latest generation of the 500 minicar on July 4. In Europe, engine choices range from only 69 hp to 100 hp. But with the Mercedes smart brand set for a U.S. launch next year, and BMW's Mini brand doing well, the U.S. could be ready for a higher-performance version of the 500, if Fiat adds one in the next few years.


Smart (Mercedes) fortwo
Starting U.S. Price Under $12,000

Mercedes-Benz launched smart (small "s") in Europe in 1998. U.S. customers can finally buy one in early 2008. The base fourtwo has a three-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted manually--and not much else. Air conditioning, power windows and even a radio are optional. In an unusual setup, Penske Automotive Group, the nation's second-largest dealer chain, will distribute smart for Mercedes-Benz.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Estimated U.S. Price: Around $35,000

The high-performance "Evo" was last offered in the U.S. for the 2006 model year. Mitsubishi will revive it in early 2008. Features include all-wheel drive and a lightweight, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine, with an aluminum cylinder block.



Nissan Skyline
About $25,000

Since you can’t buy a new one in the U.S., some "drifters" in Southern California have bought used Japanese-market Skylines and paid to have them converted to meet U.S. regulations. Drifting is driving sideways, in a controlled skid. The closely related Infiniti G35 is the next best thing for U.S. buyers, but it is being replaced this fall by the all-new G37.


Peugeot 4007
Pricing Not Available

Peugeot, which bailed out of the U.S. market in 1991, says on its official Web site that it has "no plans" to return. If it ever did, maybe some U.S. buyers would like an attractively styled SUV like the 4007--especially if there were a more powerful alternative to the standard, four-cylinder diesel engine. The 4007 was expected to debut this month in Europe.
(C)Forbes

Supercharged 2007 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson Packs A Powerful Punch

• Ford F-150 supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission delivers 450 horsepower and 500 pounds-feet of torque.


• Ford responds to customer demand bringing F-150 performance concept to market in eight months.


• Ford-Harley co-branding partnership flourishes – with 60,000 pickups sold since 1999.


• DEARBORN, Mich., May 23, 2007 – America's best-selling, most capable full-size pickup now delivers the horsepower to make it one of the most powerful half-ton pickups on the market. The 450 horsepower supercharged Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson™ Super Crew 4x2 hits the road this summer.

Born from tremendous customer reaction to the F-150 performance truck concept that was on display at the November 2006 SEMA show, the supercharged F-150 Harley-Davidson™ packs the extra power punch that Ford truck enthusiasts have been demanding.

"Ford is the truck leader because we pay attention to what our customers want and move quickly to meet their needs," said Ben Poore, Ford Truck group marketing manager. "They told us they wanted a performance equipped truck so we worked with Saleen to bring the supercharged F-150 Harley-Davidson™ to market in rapid fashion."

The supercharged F-150 Harley Davidson™ is available in ebony black or dark amethyst with plenty of gleaming chrome, 22-inch oversized wheels and tires and a custom scalloped stripe that runs along the beltline that creates a glued-to-the-ground appearance. "Harley-Davidson" script runs along the bedside in three-dimensional chrome letters. Blacked-out headlamps and a unique chrome billet grille give it a distinctive, bold front-end.

Among other highlights:

• The SALEEN supercharger option is available through Ford dealers for $6500 MSRP. Base F-150 Harley-Davidson™ pricing starts at $37,210 MSRP including $925 destination and delivery.


• The twin-screw supercharger is the same style as the one in the Shelby GT-500.
  A dual-stage water-to-air intercooler increases the supercharger's efficiency and adds performance by cooling the intake air.


• The volume from the exhaust is cranked up into a sustained growl.


• An available gauge pod with boost (PSI) and air-charge temperature (ACT) gauges monitors the system's performance.

The 2007 F-150 Harley-Davidson™ truck is the ninth model to emerge from a Ford/Harley-Davidson™ partnership that began in 1999. The co-branding of the two storied 104-year-old companies has proven to be a successful formula with total sales of Ford F-Series Harley-Davidsons™ of nearly 60,000 units.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 280,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Aston Martin and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

About Harley-Davidson™
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight street, custom and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel and general merchandise. As a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport motorcycles in addition to motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs to Harley-Davidson/Buell dealers and customers.

Top 10 Cars Priced Higher Than $100,000

The trend of spending more than a $100,000 on a new exotic car is growing rapidly.

Cars.com decided to compile a list of Top 10 Cars Priced Higher Than $100,000. “The selection process for these cars was fairly straightforward. Cars on the list all have a sticker price between $100,000 and $200,000 and go above and beyond pedestrian luxury cars in terms of style, performance and attitude,” said Cars.com editor David Thomas. Check out the list below.

1. Bentley Continental Flying Spur — The two-door Bentley Continental GT broke things open for the British coach builder with its most famous owner — Paris Hilton — getting them plenty of free publicity.

But it’s the four-door Flying Spur that is the epitome of how much exotic luxury you can get for your money — about $170,000 of your money.

Even though Bentley is churning out more Continentals than any other model, they’re still hand-built and can be custom ordered, down to the wood grain and leather pigmentation

2. Aston Martin V8 Vantage/Vantage Roadster — The V8 Vantage coupe and convertible are sultry, British and fast.

For a mere $110,000, the coupe is a major head-turner that will stand out in a crowd of Porsches and even Ferraris.

The Aston has subtle elegance with a ton of performance squeezed out of its V-8 engine.

3. Audi R8 — This new kid on the block is Audi’s first take on the semi-exotic sports car.

Its modern styling and impressive performance, about on par with the Porsche 911 Turbo, make a value statement at $109,000.

The huge grille, mid-engine layout and sporty cockpit scream business; the bold stripe on the side shouts eccentricity.

4. Porsche 911 Turbo — It may look like Porsches of the past, but the new 911 turbo is the highest attainment of Porsche-ness ever built.

$122,000 might seem like a major investment, but a 911 Turbo never goes out of style; unless Porsche goes against almost 50 years of tradition, a 911 will look like a 911 for decades to come.

Even if the next-generation Turbo outdoes this one in performance, passers-by will never know.

5. Bentley Continental GTC — The GTC’s motorized canvas roof might seem like something from your grandpa’s old Buick, but it’s the look with the top down that seals the deal.

If you think an average convertible is an impractical buy, what does that say about this one, at $189,990?

How, then, did it make the list? You just can’t have too many Bentleys in your stable.

6. Ferrari F430 — Yes, you too can own Ferrari’s “entry-level” F430 for under $200,000.

It’ll probably hold its value — it starts at $168,005 — better than most of the cars on this list, and some say this might be the easiest Ferrari ever to drive like a pro.

You can’t put a price tag on that.

7. Mercedes-Benz S600 — This one almost didn’t make the list, but we’ve seen too many of this $139,900 sedan on the streets and parked in front of fancy restaurants to let it slip out of the top 10.

Plus, it has a powerful V-12 engine and a very upscale cabin, complete with mood lighting.

That’s why it comes in at No. 7, even if it looks like its less-stellar S550 sibling.

8. BMW M6 Convertible — Its style might not be for everyone, but the M6 convertible hits 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

That means it’ll only take a minute to dry your hair after you leave the beach.

Of course, we wouldn’t recommend tracking sand in a new, $104,900, V-10-powered BMW, unless your detailer is on speed dial.

This is probably the least attractive car on the list, but we’ve run into more than one luxury owner who covets the 6 Series above all else. Loyalty — and the engine — put it in at No. 8.

9. Lamborghini Gallardo — Lamborghinis are brutish and powerful, and they look like nothing else.

At $175,000 for the hardtop and $195,000 for the roadster, the Gallardo stretches the $200,000 budget.

They’re native Italians, but are most often seen in high-profile areas like South Beach and Hollywood.

As those areas suggest, it’s all about the looks; the cabin is sparse, the ride is harsh and the exhaust is more than boastful.

Good thing it has the performance credibility, or it would be all show.

10. Maserati Quattroporte — The Quattroporte holds the No. 10 spot on the list because it was one of the first near-$100,000 cars to really sell in significant quantities, leading other automakers to believe they could get away with attaching six-figure price tags to fancy cars.

It’s still one of the most inexpensive Italian exotic cars you can buy, at $110,600, and this year it sports a traditional automatic transmission.

Plus, you can feel like one of the guys from "Entourage."

Jaguar's new XKR: Brit meets brawn

Columnist Sue Callaway returns to Jaguar - for a sneak peek at a car she helped launch.

From a journalist's perch, it's deliciously easy to critique the auto industry. Even when presented with technological high-water marks, a writer is often measured, according to other car reviewers, by the ability to find flaws.

Although it's important to report problems, that approach misses the big picture: how difficult it is, given everything from legislative restrictions to endless budget cuts, to make a world-class vehicle today.

I got that inside view back in 2000, when I joined Ford. In my first job I headed straight to Britain, where I was director of marketing for Ford's luxury brands - Jaguar-, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Volvo. Now, reality is that the Midlands, the British brands' home base, is even drabber than Detroit, but at least there was history to whiff - and a dedicated group of Brits trying really, really hard to make beautiful, luxurious, emotional automobiles.

I eventually became general manager of Jaguar North America, and the 2008 Jaguar XKR is the last car I worked closely on. It's also the vehicle that must secure Jaguar's future in the short term.

On the business side, Ford just sold Aston Martin for a cash infusion, and with Jaguar bleeding money (the marque has struggled with profitability for the 18 years Ford has owned it), it only makes sense that new CEO Alan Mulally may well consider selling it too.

On the product side, the XK and particularly the high-performance XKR need to attain pinnacle status and distract the world from lesser Jaguars such as the failing entry-level X-Type.

When I left, design director Ian Callum was doing battle on a few key issues. Many executives and dealers wanted a retractable hard top. Callum was willing to fall on his sword for a soft top - and eventually he won. "A hard top would have forced the rear of the car to be a foot wider - there would have been nothing sexy or sporty about that," he says.

Callum also struggled mightily to move the car's lines into the 21st century, which many traditionalists resisted. His biggest challenge: designing around legislated safety restrictions such as the height of the "H-point," where the windshield meets the roofline; and the front overhang and hood height, which are now constrained by pedestrian-protection parameters (I say, look before you cross).

Other debates raged on: Could Jaguar afford an all-aluminum car? Could Jag squeeze enough power out of its 4.2-liter V-8 to remain competitive? Would buyers appreciate the car's E-Type-inspired cues?

Fast-forward four years, and here I am, stepping into a car I knew so well but hadn't seen finished. Experiencing the new XKR in the flesh was a jolt: Callum has done nothing short of put it through a sex change. Where the old XKR was an elegant female - feline, voluptuous - the new XKR is all male. Aggression smolders through the shrink-wrapped body panels; it is the automotive equivalent of a bodybuilder wearing a wet T-shirt. It works. Jaguar's heritage is as a racing and sports car company, so the taut lines are a direct nod to history.

Inside, optional blond wood or aluminum trim feel thoroughly modern. The seats are well bolstered; the carpet is thick. And so is the tire smoke you can create with one good push on the throttle - in most any gear.

What else? Steering-wheel-mounted paddles for shifting (I nearly wept with joy to see that the old J-Gate had finally gone the way of the dinosaur). An excellent and intuitive touchscreen navigation system. Clean, clear gauges. A ride that is invitingly plush yet performance-oriented.

On the road, the XKR's supersmooth supercharger whines into the higher rpms, competing with the throaty exhaust - a symphony of motoring sounds. The car is boldly eager to go fast. But I wish the compromise between luxury and sportiness did not come at the cost of a precise drive-feel. A pure sports car gives you a visceral and direct connection to the road, gearbox, steering, tires, brakes. The XKR is quick but spares you some of that data. If you're a purist, you'll miss it. But most Jaguar buyers will prefer the buttery ride.

There are a few other niggles. I miss the sound the old XK's turn signal made - a very British tick-tock. It had the ring of expensive high heels on a parquet floor. I wish the leather felt more expensive. I wish the gauges still glowed Jaguar-green.

All in all, my former colleagues should be proud. The XKR has moved light-years forward from the last generation. It introduces a fresh design language for the brand. (Critics who think the horizontal bar in the XK's grille looks like a Ford Taurus had better get their history books out - it's pure E-Type; Jag's American owner shamelessly purloined the detail.) It is lighter (yes, all aluminum), stiffer, and quicker than the old car.

Will it fix Jag's ills? No. But it's a hell of a start. Keep 'em coming, Callum. Next, could you please work on a latter-day XJ13?
By Sue Zesiger Callaway, Fortune

Aston Martin buyer gets $720M in offers

Kuwaiti investment firm bought stake in luxury brand two months ago.

Kuwait's Investment Dar said it has received offers worth about $720 million for its stake in British luxury carmaker Aston Martin, less than two months after it bought the stake and 50 percent more than it paid.

The Kuwaiti holding company was part of a group fronted by former Benetton and BAR racing boss David Richards that bought Aston Martin from Ford Motor in March for 479 million pounds ($956 million).


Investment Dar took a 50 percent stake in the carmaker made famous by James Bond films.
"We are receiving bids daily," Investment Dar executive vice-president Amr Abou El Seoud said in a statement to Reuters in response to questions. "We're getting bids at a 50 percent profit."


Investment Dar told the Kuwaiti bourse on Saturday it had received offers, without disclosing a value.


The company will probably hold onto its stake for at least a year before selling a portion, Seoud said.


"We have a plan and strategy that we would love to see implemented before thinking seriously about selling," Seoud said, without giving details about the plan.


"We are not expected to exit but rather to diversify to seek value-added investors to share with us," he said.


Ford retained a $77 million stake in Aston Martin.

(C) CNNMoney.com