Survey says...Pontiac!
Unfortunately, General Motors may be making a big mistake. According to Advertising Age, a survey recently completed by CarGurus asked potential car buyers which GM brand they would like to see survive the cuts. They chose Pontiac.

The survey had almost 1,700 respondents, with 44% naming Pontiac, 27% choosing Hummer, 20% selecting Saab and only 9% picking Saturn. Now the respondents picking Pontiac really isn't a stretch. Pontiac is known as GM's performance brand, dating back to the birth of the muscle car era in the '60s.

Now the rest of the survey results are a bit confusing. Second after Pontiac is Hummer. Maybe Sichuan Tengzhong, the Chinese company negotiating to purchase Hummer, knows something we don't. The goal, of course, is for GM to get rid of a brand that just isn't profitable anymore. The Chinese company sounds willing to put up the cash to keep Hummer afloat. This should be interesting.

I just finished another long term test, this time in BMW's latest version of the MINI, the Clubman. Since BMW took over MINI, the car has taken on a new life, building on an already unique brand and creating an all new following. The Clubman version of the MINI expands on it even further. With an extended wheelbase and split rear barn doors, the Clubman gives MINI buyers another choice at being just a little different.

Where's the nearest track?
I was expecting the MINI to handle like a go cart but I thought it would come at the expense of a smooth ride. I was wrong. BMW has done an excellent job of tuning the Clubman's suspension. When you're tackling your favorite back road, this MINI corners flat and quick, with minimal body roll.

But when you're simply in a get to point A to B mode, be it city streets or the freeway, this MINI is quite smooth. It absorbs the majority of road irregularities, with the occasional thump from rough city streets. I haven't driven a standard size MINI Cooper to compare it to the Clubman. To be fair, the Clubman's ride may be benefiting from its slightly longer wheelbase.

Performance in a small package
MINI has developed an all-new 16-valve 4-cylinder for their cars, with the 'S' models outfitted with twin-scroll turbos and direct injection. The motor puts out 172 HP and 177 lb/ft of torque. I noticed after driving it for a short time that the turbo does take a moment to spool up but when it does, the Clubman accelerates quickly with a nice rasp from its twin tail pipes.

BMW decided to use Getrag to build their MINI manual transmission and it appears to have been a good choice. Not quite as smooth as the manual in the BMW 3-series, the Clubman's six-speed is sweet. Shifts are crisp with nary a doubt as to which gear you're in. It took me a moment to get used to the "slide left and up" for reverse (my daily driver is a five-speed) but once past that, it's fun to find the right gear for the moment, keeping that little buzz saw under the hood in the power band.

In the Ridestory Garage
I'm fortunate again to have extended access to another car, this time a MINI Cooper S Clubman. Since BMW took over MINI, the car has taken on a new life, building on an already unique brand and creating an all new following. The Clubman version of the MINI expands on it even further. With an extended wheelbase and split rear barn doors, the Clubman gives MINI buyers another choice at being just a little different.

What's different?
Potential MINI buyers will find one characteristic of the Clubman very appealing. And that's size. The Clubman is longer and definitely more roomy inside than a standard size MINI. Hop in the back seat and it's actually functional. So four adults in a MINI can be comfortable? In a word, yes.

Clubman uniqueness continues though. In addition to the extra leg room, the rear of the Clubman opens up with two barn-like doors. Swinging the doors out provides easy loading and access to the rear of the car. An additional suicide door on the passenger side provides access to the rear seat.

MINI performance
Just because it's a MINI doesn't mean performance is lacking. This Clubman happens to be the 'S' version, delivering 172 turbocharged horsepower. My initial impressions can't detect any turbo lag. In fact, the MINI's 4-cylinder has got a nice punch with just a little rasp to the exhaust note. It's loads of fun to keep high in the rev range.

In addition, my test car has a six-speed manual transmission. Which, for me, is exciting. If you're a regular reader of Ridestory, you know I'm not a fan of automatics. And, for the most part, the MINI's manual is quite enjoyable. It's a little notchy, definitely not as smooth as the BMW 328i's manual. But fun none the less.

Does MINI mean strength in the car market?
News regarding the future of the car market hasn't been good lately. Bankruptcy and bailouts don't exactly exude confidence. But if the future of the automobile is anything like what BMW is delivering with the MINI brand, enthusiasts will continue to be happy drivers.

Look for my MINI Twitter updates over the coming week and I'll of course post more about it here on Ridestory.

Some amazing photography from this Concorso
A stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta Touring won 'Best of Show' at the 2009 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the grounds of Villa Erba in Cernobbio, which is about 25 miles north of Milan, Italy.

I received the release about the Concorso from the BMW Press Group but only decided to post about it when I saw the beautiful photography taken during the event.

Unfortunately, the weather turned gray on Sunday, with rain throughout the day. It didn't seem to turn visitors away though.

“The great response from the public despite the poor weather shows how this event has become a firm fixture on the calendar of car aficionados from both this region and countries around the world,” said Karl Baumer, President of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and Director of BMW Group Classic. “The weather on Sunday could have been better for the 80th anniversary of the Concorso, but a sunny Saturday with this selection of cars provided a more than worthy setting for our anniversary Concorso,” added Jean-Marc Droulers, President of Villa d’Este S.p.A.

Can I keep this a little longer?
"Boy, I could get used to this." I lost count how many times I said that to myself as I drove the BMW. I got spoiled waking up each morning knowing that my commute would be in one of the best sports sedans in production today.

I knew following my First Impressions of the BMW 328i that I would have a hard time going back to my Scion tC.

Daily driver
Let's cut to the chase. If you're in the market for a sporty four-door, money spent on a 3-series BMW would be a wise investment. You have the convenience of the extra set of doors and room for four adults, wrapped up in a svelte German suit.

Notice I said four adults. The 328i, or any 3-series BMW for that matter, is meant to be comfortable for adults in sets of four. Yes, there's room for five. But I wouldn't want to be the fifth wheel. For comparison purposes, the Pontiac G8 GT that I road tested is more comfortable for five. But the G8's real Bavarian counterpart is the 5 series.

Six-shooter but not down low
Under the 328i's hood is BMW's 3.0-liter, 24-valve, inline 6 with 230 horsepower. The Ridestory test car came with the standard 6-speed manual.

Let's get my power train quibble out of the way first. Low end torque in this motor is lacking. At first I attributed my stumbling starts from a dead stop to inexperience with the car. But I continually had to modulate the accelerator and clutch for smooth starts. Otherwise, BMW's straight six is smoothly subtle when you want it to be but takes on an aggressive rasp when driven aggressively. It is loads of fun.

Quibbles aside, I'll gladly shake the hand of any BMW engineer in charge of this cars six-speed manual. It is smooth and notch-free. And it inspired confidence. At no time did I feel I was grabbing the wrong gear, which I can honestly say, I never did. The only other car that I've driven that had a similar feel was my old Acura RSX. The single advantage the RSX's six-speed had over the BMW's was shorter throws.

A BMW owners opinion
As 328iDude alluded to in his comment following my first post about the 328i, BMW's are incredible cars.

"I can easily sign off on the fact that most BMWs, and the 328i in particular, are magnificent cars. I'm on my 5th BMW now (+1 Mini Cooper), and I can't see myself without one in the future," he said.

"(My) current ride is a 328i, used for the daily commute and also track day use. Show me another brand that offers that same versatility. Maybe a Porsche, but even that is stretching it a bit up here in the arctic Norwegian climate."

I think that's putting it rather succinctly, don't you? Those who experience a BMW, whether it be a short-term test or a long-time owner, come away feeling the same way. This is a solid, well engineered car with outstanding performance.

As I asked following my first post about the 328i, I would love to hear from BMW owners. Anyone have an opinion similar to 328iDude's? Does anyone feel differently? Maybe your BMW experience was less than stellar. Leave your comments below and help educate all of us.

When will hydrogen fuel cell cars be ready?
This is the most frequently asked question about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. While the technology still needs to be developed further, hydrogen fuel cell cars will arrive at dealerships by 2015.

Number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road today
GM has been the most aggressive promoter of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Project Driveway is a demonstration program that started over a year ago where more than 100 Chevy Equinox hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are being driven by members of the general public in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. Each person gets to drive the vehicle for three months. GM also brings some of the hydrogen vehicles to “ride and drive” events at conferences and makes them available for journalists to test drive.

Honda started a similar program last summer where a small number of customers in Southern California can lease the FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car for $600 per month. Between 2008 and 2011, Honda will build 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen cars. The company has built the world’s first dedicated hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production facility in Japan. The first Honda FCX Clarity rolled off the production line last June which was almost exactly 100 years after the first production Ford Model T.

Furthermore, Daimler has been testing around 100 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for several years. And Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Ford, and Volkswagen all have a small number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road.

At the moment, the hydrogen fueling infrastructure for these vehicles is very limited. There are around 60 hydrogen fueling stations that are operational in the U.S. Half of these are in California. On the other hand, there are around 170,000 gasoline stations in the U.S.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle driving experience
A frequent comment from people who test drive hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is that besides the lack of engine noise the experience is very similar to driving a gasoline-powered vehicle.

The driving range of hydrogen fuel cell cars has improved greatly. The Toyota FCHV (Highlander) hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is a mid-size SUV that gets 516 miles of driving range with only slightly less rear trunk and passenger space as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The vehicle stores hydrogen at 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi).

Other hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have driving ranges as low as 180 miles. There are a variety of reasons for this including storing hydrogen at 5000 psi, using smaller tanks, and having less efficient fuel cells. However, with the exception of the Honda FCX Clarity, most hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are converted gasoline-powered vehicles. With vehicles that are built specifically to run on hydrogen, extra space for the hydrogen tanks can be created. Furthermore, the hydrogen prototype vehicles are typically utilizing fuel cell technology that is one to three years old. The next generation fuel cells being developed by the car companies will be more efficient, smaller, and weigh less.

The bottom line is that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be able to meet customer needs for trunk space, passenger space, a 300-mile driving range, etc.

Remaining obstacles with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
The only two remaining obstacles with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are cost and durability. The fuel cell technology will likely be ready in the 2012 time frame. This will give the car companies four to six years to improve on the fuel cells that are in the existing prototype hydrogen vehicles.

However, there are two other cost issues. The car companies will also need to optimize the manufacturing process and mass produce the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in order to make them economical for consumers.

Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler, said in early 2009 that his company will be able to produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at the same cost of a hybrid vehicle in 2013 or 2014 assuming at least 100,000 units are built per year. Daimler is planning to begin limited production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles this summer.

Toyota has said that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will arrive at dealerships by 2015 or perhaps sooner. GM has said hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be sold beginning in 2014 or 2015.

Building the hydrogen fueling infrastructure is the real issue
Since hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are very close to being ready, the real issue is that the hydrogen fueling stations need to be built. The car companies are clearly taking care of their part. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be ready to be mass produced in three or four years.

However, despite the tremendous amount of progress with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the hydrogen industry as a whole is thinking very small when it comes to ramping up the hydrogen infrastructure. There is almost no talk right now of building thousands of hydrogen fueling stations by 2015. Moreover, a “real world” hydrogen fueling station (i.e. one that could dispense 1000 or 1500 kilograms of hydrogen per day) has yet to be built. The existing hydrogen fueling stations typically dispense tens of kilograms per day for a small number of vehicles.

With peak oil looming, oil prices are likely headed back to $100 or $150 per barrel in the next two or three years. Furthermore, they could potentially go even higher five years from now. Therefore, the lack of a sense of urgency to get the hydrogen fueling infrastructure built on a scale that is necessary is baffling.

Another unsettled issue is how the hydrogen fueling stations will be financed. The focus up until now has been on the oil companies and the federal government. However, both have shown little interest in building the hydrogen fueling infrastructure.

Last fall, I proposed a way to build the hydrogen fueling infrastructure that does not involve the oil companies, federal government, or subsidies. The idea is to have hydrogen fueling station cooperatives. Here is how they would work.

One thousand people who live near each other would agree to purchase a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and each pay $2000 extra in order to finance a $2 million hydrogen fueling station. Each person would then own 1/1000th of the fueling station. This would solve the hydrogen infrastructure “chicken and egg” problem, because both the vehicles and the fueling station would come at the same time.

Furthermore, the idea is scalable. For example, the concept could be used to build 50 hydrogen fueling stations that are spread throughout the Phoenix metro area. The stations would provide fuel to 50,000 residents of Phoenix who purchase hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

It should be noted that these hydrogen fueling stations will most likely be selling hydrogen that is produced on-site from natural gas. This will likely be the most economical way to produce hydrogen for at least several years. While this will result in around half of the carbon dioxide emissions as cars powered by gasoline, the downside is that the increased demand for natural gas will eventually cause the price to go much higher.

However, hydrogen can also be produced from wind, solar, or nuclear power. The short-term cost will be higher than producing hydrogen from natural gas. On the other hand, these production methods will result in very stable prices for consumers.

With electricity generated from wind, solar, or nuclear power and transmitted over the electric grid, the hydrogen could be produced on-site with electrolyzers at fueling stations. Another option is to produce the hydrogen at wind, solar, or nuclear facilities that have a large number of electrolyzers and then distribute the hydrogen to fueling stations via pipelines and trucks.

The hydrogen could also be produced at solar or nuclear facilities through methods that utilize the heat from solar or nuclear power. These methods are much more efficient than first generating electricity from solar or nuclear power and then producing hydrogen via electrolysis. In this scenario, pipelines and trucks would also be used to distribute the hydrogen to fueling stations.

Summary
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that meet mainstream customer requirements will arrive at dealerships by 2015. However, people need to be thinking much bigger when it comes to building the hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Perhaps this will happen when oil returns to $100 or $150 per barrel in the next two or three years.

This is a guest post by Greg Blencoe, CEO of Hydrogen Discoveries, Inc., which is a start-up company with a large-scale hydrogen storage technology and a hydrogen pipeline technology that is based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He also publishes the Hydrogen Car Revolution blog.