Tommi Kaira Prius: All Show, Still No Go

Proof That It's Okay to Be A Hypocrite
(Image Credits: Autocar Magazine Online)

Fans of Gran Turismo will have heard of Japanese tuning outfit Tommi Kaira. While TK earned digital fame for its mental versions of the Skyline GT-R and Mitsubishi Lancer, it seems that the erstwhile wrenchmen wanted to do something a little more, how shall we put it, green. Enter the Tommi Kaira Prius. This is a very important car. Before you laugh that one off, let me explain why. There have been a whole raft of so-called "hybrids" out there; the Escalade, Silverado, and rumored Ferrari V12 hybrid come to mind. These are little other than normal gas-guzzlers with large hybrids. Think of them as thirsty beasts wearing a cuddly, Earth-friendly badge. Tommi Kaira have unwittingly produced the exact antithesis of these cars: a hybrid dressed up like a sports car! Wow! Like Andre Agassi said back in his Canon days, image is everything. The question I'm left with is, what image exactly is TK going for? It is a niche car, that is for sure. But how large can the niche be for people that want a sporty-looking, though not altogether sporty driving hybrid car? It's the sort of people who want to wear outdoor performance clothing, but don't want to have to go through the hassle of actually going outdoors. Hey, maybe TK is on to something...

Audi Boss States the Obvious... Media Lashes Back

In a rare move of German personality, Audi boss Johan de Nysschen made a statement about the Chevrolet Volt that has been promptly misinterpreted. De Nysschen did not say that the Volt was a car for idiots; he said that one would have to be stupid to pay the premium, that is, the decision is a stupid one. Even better, de Nysschen has seen fit to clarify his statement that had been misinterpreted. While I admit that de Nysschen could have chosen his words better, or that the attack could have been levelled against General Motors rather than leaving open the interpretation that somehow the 'innocent consumer' could have been the subject of his statement, I agree fully with de Nysschen's assessment. The Volt is not a car that makes sense.

Engineers can appreciate the technical complexity of cars like the Volt, the Toyota Prius, and the Honda Insight, however, they are not, in themselves, ideal solutions. They are part of a general trend to better fuel economy. The problem with the Volt is that it is a reactionary move; this has been the problem with the Detroit auto industry for the better part of the last 20 years. Has GM sought to outdo the level of engineering of the Prius or Insight or to break new ground? No. Instead, the Volt seeks to capitalise on the 'gadget factor' of the Prius or Insight. It is a car for people who want other people to know that these people are doing their part. More than that, they are Japanese cars; Japan is synonymous with high technology in the United States. Chevrolet (and American technology in general) isn't. An understated diesel Audi, while German and highly advanced, is not so flash.
Granted, an Audi is a bit of a repmobile. Yet de Nysschen is 100% correct that no one will pay a $15k premium over a comparably equipped Corolla for a Chevrolet. It doesn't make economic sense, it doesn't make practical sense, it doesn't even make environmental sense. The sad thing is, he made a poor choice of words by directing blame right on the people who should have been blamed. If Americans wanted more fuel efficient cars GM would have been building them. Shame on the Germans for being honest.