BMW’s most athletic 7 Series sedan, the 2011 Alpina B7, can be had for a starting price of $122,875 when it hits North American dealers this spring. A long wheelbase version will sell for $126,775. Both prices include an $875 destination and handling charge.

For the uninitiated, Alpina is the sole BMW-backed tuner and car manufacturer that bases its products on the Bavarian luxury machines. Each of its models is sold, warrantied, and serviced at authorized BMW dealers.

This latest B7 is the second generation to come to the States. Like its predecessor, it reeks of exclusivity and performance. Its twin turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 boasts an impressive 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque courtesy of new pistons, larger intercoolers, and a revised 14.5 psi boost pressure.

Power output is some 100 hp and 66 lb-ft more than a 750i with the same base mill and catapults the four door to 60 mph in a reported 4.5 seconds. Rowing through the Alpina-tuned six-speed auto takes only a “few hundred milliseconds”.

Handling is beefed up through shorter springs and 21-in. forged alloys wrapped in sticky Michelin rubber. New splitters fore and aft also reduce lift by 30% up front and 15% out back, while at the same time providing a clean look.

Swing open a door and you’ll find Lavalina leather matched with Myrtle Burl wood trim. Alcantara headlining and Alpina badges round out the customized interior.

Source: BMW

Still mostly devoid of new product, Chrysler continues to toil in “less bad” territory, with sales down 8% in January 2010 over the previous year to 57,143. For the first time in a long time, though, the company can at least say it’s doing less bad than Toyota.

Despite actually adding a brand, Chrysler sales continue to struggle, but there is some hope. Separating the Ram brand from Dodge allowed the latter to actually post an increase in sales in January while Chrysler’s other three brands all came up with losses. Dodge managed to eek out a 1% increase in sales while the Chrysler brand fell just short, down 2%. The Jeep brand wasn’t far behind, down 7%, while the Ram brand dropped 25% on depressed truck sales.

At Dodge, the highlight of the brand continues to be the Journey SUV, which moved 4,790 copies for an increase of 55% over January 2009. Other notables included the Avenger sedan, up 44% to 3,134, and Caravan, up 34% to 4,298. Caliber sales were up a scant 4% while Challenger and Viper sales dropped 39% and 80% respectively.

Over at Chrysler, the picture was a bit more grim. The Sebring bounced back big time with sales up 85% to 3,593 and the Town & Country minivan was the brand’s top seller, up 6% with 4,531 copies sold. The rest of the lineup wasn’t looking so good, with the 300 down 26% and the ancient PT Cruiser dropping 32%.

2009 Chrysler Sebring
CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY

Things were looking slightly better over at Jeep with Compass sales up 52% to 1,244. Grand Cherokee and Commander also posted gains, up 6% and 22% to 3,311 and 1,313 respectively. Wrangler remains the brand’s best-selling vehicle with 4,888 copies sold, but sales were still down 23% from January 2009. The number-three seller, Liberty, was off 11% to 2,987.

The big disappointment was at the new Ram brand. Sales of the Ram pickup have been carrying the company, but despite being Chrysler’s best-selling vehicle with 9,957 copies moved off the lots, sales were still down 22%. Dakota sales, meanwhile, lost 32% to just 994 and Sprinter van sales fell off a cliff with just 81 sold, down 83%.

Source: Chrysler

    Click Here!
Car of the year at MotorTrend.com    
    Espanol|Mobile|Newsletter|MT Radio    

    * New Cars
    *
    * Used Car Classifieds
    *
    * Car Reviews & Vehicle Road Tests
    *
    * MotorTrend AutoShows
    *
    * MotorTrend Auto News
    *
    * Future Cars
    *
    * MotorTrend Car Video Vault
    *
    * Motor Trend Features
    *
    * Motor Trend Community
    *
    * Subscribe To Motor Trend Magazine
          o Subscribe
          o Gift
          o Digital
          o Services
    * 

Editorials    |    Race News    |    Consumer    |    Of the Year    |    World of MT    |    Archives    |    Classic    |    Insurance    |    Gas Prices    |    Performance    |    One Lap of America    |    Laguna Lap
Home > Of the Year > Cars > 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Ford Fusion
2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Ford Fusion
2010 Coty Header
Check Dealer Pricing On a New Ford Fusion!
2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Ford Fusion
The Comeback Kid: Do-it-All Sedan is Reborn for 2010 and is Better, Smarter, Nicer, Prettier, Comfier, Leaner, Meaner, and Greener in Every Way
November, 2009
 / By Matt Stone
 / Photography by Wesley Allison

2010 Ford Fusion Se Sport And Hybird
 Click to view Gallery
In 1964, Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award went to the entire Ford lineup, recognizing its combination of design, engineering excellence, and performance. In 1970, we gave the nod to the Ford Torino, which could be ordered in a wide variety of configurations. Forty years ago, buyers could choose from economical, six-cylinder-powered sedans to the dragstrip-ready 429 Super Cobra Jet fastback. These legendary winners had one thing in common: bandwidth. In the 1960s and ’70s, this term wasn’t yet part of popular lexicon. Today, the 2010 Ford Fusion’s impressive bandwidth as a model range was one of the many factors that helped it earn the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

Want an economical midsize sedan that doesn’t cost much, yet won’t bore you to tears? Need to please your greener side with a high-tech hybrid? Fancy a near-sport sedan with AWD, 18-inch rolling stock, and the latest infotainment and electronics? Depending on which model you choose and how many option boxes you tick, the Fusion can be any of the above. Arthur St. Antoine calls the Fusion “a compelling sweep across one of the market’s most hotly contested segments.”

The original Ford Fusion came to market for the 2006 model year. The basics were there, but the car wasn’t fully baked. For 2010, Ford’s product teams gave the lineup a soup-to-nuts redevelopment so thorough, it’s as if the first-generation car never existed. Only the passenger-shell sheetmetal and other basic architectural elements escaped being redesigned, upgraded, or replaced. Although a four-door sedan is the only body style offered, powertrain choices expand from two to four, and each is new or substantially revised. There are several trim levels offered as well: base S, upmarket SE, luxurious SEL, a separate Sport model, and a Hybrid. Early in this year’s COTY program, there were quiet whispers, while heads nodded, about how the Fusion looked, felt, and drove like an entirely new machine.