Industry insiders and Acura customers alike have been screaming for a V8-powered Acura sedan for ages, and it looks like their wish may finally come true, as it's reported the next RL will get a 420-hp 4.8L V8. It also appears this sedan will switch from a FWD-biased SH-AWD to a RWD-biased SH-AWD. In addition it sounds like the RL may be available in both RWD and SH-AWD, although that's not entirely clear in the IL report.

So come mid-2010, when the car is scheduled to debut, everybody should be happy—especially Acura dealers. The expected MSRP will be a bit north of $70K. Note that the image (courtesy of Holiday Auto) is a photo-illustration of what's expected to show up.

Here's Inside Line's take: V8-Powered Acura RL Is on the Way

Finally, Maserati has a car that can go from zero to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. This would be the 2008 Maserati GranTurismo S unveiled in Geneva today. Noting the crowd's fatigue at this late afternoon press conference, Maserati CEO Roberto Ronchi took a simple tack for his speech.

"People have been asking me, 'What does the S stand for,'" he said. "First of all, it stands for 'sport' because there is the new 4.7-liter V8 engine." That engine makes 440 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 361 pound-feet of torque at 4,750 rpm -- significant gains over the 405 hp at 7,100 and 339 lb-ft at 4,750 in the regular GranTurismo.

"'S' also stands for 'speed,'" he continued, "because this is the fastest Maserati we've ever built." The GranTurismo S has a top speed of 295 km/h, he said, which is 183 mph.



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It was a typical day at the Rolls-Royce booth in Geneva, meaning that we couldn't get anywhere near the 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe until 30 minutes after the press conference. Chinese manufacturer BYD had the good fortune to have its booth right next to the Rolls stand, allowing it to pull in a healthy crowd for its own press conference immediately preceding the two-door Phantom's unveiling.



As in the past, we were immediately cowed into silence by the Roller's monstrous size -- exactly as it should be for a car of this stature. Despite its 18-foot length, this will be the sportiest of the Phantoms, as it has the stiffest chassis and the firmest suspension settings. Nevertheless, said Ian Robertson, chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce, "that waftability that we refer to is still very much in the character of this car."

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Engineers working on hybrids have long known about the advantages of lithium-ion batteries. They've also know about the disadvantages, such as flame-ups due to excessive heat build up, as well as temperature sensitivity. Those concerns, as well as high costs, have so far kept Li-Ion hybrids out of showrooms.

Now Mercedes thinks they've got these problems licked, and will be introducing a S400 BlueHYBRID powered by Li-Ion batteries. Even so, it still sounds like these cars are best suited to warmer climates, where the outside temperature ranges from 59 – 95 degrees, as that that's the optimal operating range for best results.

Full story here.

Here's Green Car Advisor's take: Daimler Claims Lithium Ion Battery Breakthrough

Here's Inside Line's take: 2008 Geneva Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid

Desperate times call for desperate measures...

Or so the saying goes; Maybach, an automaker arguably on the ropes, is pulling out all the stops as they've given a production okay for the Landaulet. A concept study was recently shown at the Detroit auto show.

So will this save the brand? ...And can we expect a counter-punch from Rolls-Royce? Surely the Queen of England won't want to be upstaged by this wannabe poseur, and will request a Landaulet version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB, no?

Full story here.

Here's Inside Line's take: Maybach Adds Ultra-Majestic Landaulet, Priced at $1.35 Million

Cadillac has been tip-toeing in the European market for some time now, but Lincoln hasn't. In fact, outside of the USA and Canada Lincoln is a non-brand.

In recent years the argument was that if Lincoln went international, it would step on Jaguar's toes, that's assuming of course if Lincoln had a credible product. But that's about to change as Ford divests its self of Jaguar. So, in this now-new, smaller and more nimble FoMoCo; and with the world now becoming a smaller neighborhood; should Lincoln think about going global with their marketing?

"I see Lincoln as having the potential to be sold in markets that value the strengths of American products, so there may be opportunities outside the U.S.," states Lewis Booth, executive vice president-Ford of Europe and the Premier Automotive Group. "Do I think it will be everywhere? No."

Full story here.

You may have noticed the new TV spots for the Hyundai Genesis, comparing it to a BMW 7-series, but priced like a 3-Series. I believe their is also one comparing it to an S-Class Mercedes-Benz, but being priced like a C-Class. This all raises the question: Is the car market ready for a premium Korean auto brand?

AutoObserver is also raising that same question: Genesis: A New Beginning for Hyundai, But Is the World Ready?

Okay, will someone please lift the rock off of me that I've been living under for the last couple of years? I just found out the Infiniti Q45 is no longer being sold here! In fact it's been MIA since 2006 in the North American market! It is, however, still sold in the Middle East.

Where have I been? Maybe a better question is where has the Q45 been, as it certainly hasn't been on my (or customer's) radar for some time?

At any rate, Autoblog has an entry up on Carlos Ghosn being asked about a possible replacement for this car (here).

Despite having an official presence in Australia, not one Aussie opted for this luxury road yacht. That's right, not one new Maybach was sold in Australia during 2007. Amazing—and especially amazing considering Rolls-Royce has a long backlog of orders with their competing Phantom, with 17 sold in Australia last year. No, not a huge number but considering the MSRP and the population of Oz, not bad I'd say. And, hey... that's still a bunch more than Maybach sold!

Full story here.

If this new Hyundai Genesis performs even half as good as it looks, the major car makers from Asia, Europe and North America will have their work cut out for them.

In the U.S. expect three DOHC engines: a 3.3-liter V6 rated at 268 horsepower and 233 pound-feet of torque; a 3.8-liter V6 rated at 290 hp and 264 lb-ft and an all-new 4.6-liter V8 rated at 368 hp and 324 lb-ft. The V8 will be mated to a ZF six-speed automatic gearbox, while the V6 engines will use an Aisin six-speed automatic. Both transmissions have manual shift capability. Hyundai is claiming a 0-60 of under six seconds for the V8.

Other highlights worth noting are adaptive headlamps, adaptive cruise control, Lexicon premium audio system with XM NavTraffic radio, as well as USB and iPod auxiliary inputs. Options include a navigation system and rear back-up camera.

The luxury RWD Genesis will start around $30,000 and will likely have many customers thinking twice about buying a car costing twice that amount.

2008 Detroit Auto Show Preview: 2009 Hyundai Genesis