Auto News For Wednesday, November 25, 2015 - Dealers Don’t Want To Sell Electric Cars

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Wednesday, November 25, 2015.

NEGATIVELY ELECTRIC
With concerns customers will blame the dealer when they’re unhappy with the long-term sacrifices, worries that the buyer won’t need to service the car, and a lack of built-in knowledge about the products, auto dealers don’t all want to sell you an electric car. 

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Both TrueCar and Edmunds believe November 2015 will go down as the highest-volume November auto sales month in the history of November auto sales. And it’s now doubtful that calendar year 2015 won’t be the best year ever. 

TTAC
Over the course of November, we covered plenty of October 2015-related auto sales stories. But what about the ones that didn’t make it into a full-fledged article? 

REVIEW
Car & Driver says the Bentley Bentayga, “is kind of spectacular to drive.” As any vehicle costing more than $230,000 should be. 

WATCH 
Adele has been everywhere of late: Saturday Night Live last Saturday, Jimmy Fallon last night, Radio City Music Hall earlier this month, and the Today Show today. But as an impersonator on GoodCarBadCar? Not until now.

Bentley Motors Sales In America: 2002 - 2011

Bentley sold vehicles to Americans at a significantly higher rate in 2011 than the company did in 2010. But that doesn't mean Bentley's selling rate in 2011 was anywhere near all-time-best status.

There's also some dispute as to how many cars Bentley Motors actually sold in the United States in 2011. With 1430 sales in 2010, Bentley's alleged year-over-year 32% increase does not take the company's 2011 sales figures to their purported total of 2021 cars. It seems as though this total was likely meant as a figure representing North American consumption (which certainly seems accurate) but has been taken by some in the media to indicate United States sales only

Regardless, Automotive News is reporting that Bentley USA sold 1877 cars in 2011, up 31.3% from 2010. Again, that's more than a decent rise - the market as a whole climbed just 10.3%. But not too long ago, the market was bigger, and so was Bentley's U.S. sales total. That's what the traditional GoodCarBadCar chart is for. Without examining it too closely you'll quickly see that Bentley's 2011 total, though ridiculously healthy for a company which only sells gigantic cars with lofty price tags, isn't what it used to be. 

In the last decade, Bentley sales peaked at 3990 in 2007. From that point to 2011, sales dropped 53%, falling consecutively in 2008 and 2009 before rising slightly in 2010 and, again, significantly in 2011.

CLICK CHART FOR A LARGER VIEW
2002 & 2003 TOTALS ARE ANDC ESTIMATES FROM THE PRE-CONTI GT ERA

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
U.S. Auto Sales By Brand - 2011 Year End
Top 30 Best-Selling Luxury Vehicles In America - 2011 Year End
Luxury Auto Brand Market Share In America - 2011 Year End
Porsche Sales In America: 2002 - 2011
Maserati Sales In America: 2002 - 2011

PHOTO COMPARISON OF TEN LARGE LUXURY SEDANS

To the human eye, shape trumps detail more often than not. The grandeur of a palace will grab your attention even if the colour of its bricks are not to your liking. The silhouette of a woman's body is most likely going to stop a man in his tracks despite the fact that her eyes are too close together and her nose is too wide. A thick t-bone steak cut by the best butcher in Texas will have you salivating.... right up until you see that it's 45% fat.

Likewise, the profile of a beautful new car, particularly as it passes you at high speed, will hold you spellbound. Maybe you hate twin-kidney grilles or bulbous fenders or angular taillights or oversized wheels, but the initial moment in which you spotted the shape of the vehicle will forever remain etched on your automotive conscience.

Yet automobiles basically come in only a handful of shapes. You have 1-box minivans, 2-box hatchbacks and wagons, 3-box sedans, wedge-like supercars and mid-engine roadsters, and back-on-its-haunches rear-wheel drive performance cars. Or, to be more specific, almost every vehicle's shape could fall under the heading of: Dodge Grand Caravan, Volvo V70, Honda Accord, Lamborghini Gallardo, and Ford Mustang. Agreeing with that analysis doesn't mean you don't see differences - huge differences - between a Chevrolet Corvette and a Nissan 370Z. In fact, if anything, agreeing with that analysis only praises the talent of automotive designers who continue to work with the consistent limitations presented by four wheels, a powerplant, a cabin, and cargo space.

Now look at one vehicle segment, expanded slightly for the purposes of this article, for evidence of designer talent when styling large, high-end 3-box sedans. Because the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide are actually hatchbacks and thus strikingly different in overall shape, they're not appearing in pictures after the jump. But ten other big sedans, including a concept and a heavy-duty whippersnapper from Korea, are shown, all with emphasis on profile. We'll all have unique guttural reactions to certain cars while finding others forgettable and some downright offensive. Deep down, these cars are rivals. However, they're seen competing in a high-dollar arena where personal design preference holds far more weight than financing deals or brake horsepower figures. Click through the jump to decide for yourself.

Audi A8

Bentley Continental Flying Spur

BMW 7-Series

Cadillac Sixteen

Hyundai Equus

Jaguar XJ

Lexus LS

Maserati Quattroporte

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net

Large Luxury Car Sales Stats

2011 Audi A8 Gallery

Low Volume Automaker Sales In The USA - June 2010

Top 10 Most Expensive Sedans In The World

GALLERY - 2011 BENTLEY MULSANNE - 7 PICTURES

1992 marked the end of Mulsanne production for Bentley Motors. 2011 will mark the Mulsanne's rebirth. True, much of the Mulsanne's architecture is still shared by the big Bentleys; those designed before Volkswagen took control of Bentley.

Immediately upon release, pictures of the new Mulsanne impressed greatly. Looking for all the world like a traditional Bentley, the new Mulsanne appears completely modern at the same time. Result.

We don't know much about the '11 Mulsanne's powertrain or technological advances. In fact, we know next-to-nothing about the '11 Bentley Mulsanne's powertrain and technological advances. It's very evident that the Mulsanne's front end is designed to be redesigned. Remaining upright, the Mulsanne maintains the aura of I-have-more-money-than-you without peering back to 1979 for inspiration.

Wildly successful in its first attempt to reinvigorate the old-style Bentleys, the only pressure on Volkswagen revolves around the greatness of the Mulsanne's interior and, naturally, torque levels.

UPDATED BENTLEY AZURE T - 17 PICTURES

In a fashion that's awfully contrary to modern Volkswagen-designed Bentleys, old-fashioned Bentleys like the Azure T have a timeless appeal. Don't get me wrong: the Continental GT and Flying Spur and GTC are desirable vehicles; but they'll need changing.

The Azure just keeps on ticking with mild updates. And we keep wanting it. Some members of the "we" actually have enough money to buy one or two. 500 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque ought to keep them happy.

Yes, driving the Azure T, despite its gargantuan nature, is a pleasure. Allegedly. The convertible weighs 5,700 lbs but still manages to hit 60mph from a standstill in little over five seconds. Meanwhile, you're sitting in the most gorgeous quilted leather in front of more genuine wood and metal than can be found in four Corvettes. Take a look at the gallery below and check out the Bentley label for all Bentley-related posts on GoodCarBadCar.net.

MCCAIN MANSION IN PHOENIX HAS BENTLEY CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR IN GARAGE

Senator John McCain of Arizona, along with his wife Cindy - the real breadwinner in the family - will be auctioning off their 2.7-acre Phoenix compound soon through The Larsen Company. How does this relate to GoodCarBadCar.net?

Apart from The Good Car Guy's in-depth following of American politics, the brief look at the "first" garage was interesting. Now, it's true that the Senator no longer resides in the house. Perhaps friends or squatters renters have taken up residence at 7110 North Central Ave. Thus, assuming the vehicles in the garage to be the Senator's would be just that, assuming. Because, after all, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur wasn't listed in the Republican presidential candidate's recent rundown of automobiles - eight automobiles.

Watch the CNN video below, obtained through KTVX, and pay close attention at the 1:03 mark. This link will take you to the list of McCain cars, this link to the Bentley Continental Flying Spur site, and this link to the Cars.com price scheme for Bentley. I'll trust Senator McCain on this one as far as now owning a Bentley. More disclosure would, however, be wonderful.

AUTO NEWS VIA QUOTES

"Mercedes-Benz is the taxicab of choice in Germany, which shows if you have the right products, being the airport car won't hurt you." Ford President of the Americas, Mark Fields, speaking to the fact that Lincoln could attain limo+cool status.

"America has never been more ready for a car like this." smart USA President, David Schembri, speaking at the delivery to one of smart's first American customers.

"I think Chrysler has cut a lot." United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger believes that new labour agreements should be enough to stave off more cutbacks at American automakers.

"...we know what we're doing when it comes to combining industry-leading safety with industry-leading value." John Krafcik, a Hyundai VP, after noting that Hyundai produces more IIHS Top Safety Picks than BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Toyota.

"I feel more than happy with today." Former two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso after his first day of testing back at Renault.

"We are in discussion with Tata Motors on dealers and distribution of these brands. We are looking at an interesting set up." Alfredo Altavilla, Vice-Chairman of Fiat India speaks of Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Ferrari being introduced in the world's second-largest nation.

"Everyone wants to pollute less; that's a no-brainer. What we've heard from our customers is if Bentley can be socially responsible that would be a positive.'' Bentley spokesman David Reuter figures the ultra-rich are about as socially conscious as the rest of us.

"Everybody at Rolls-Royce is delighted with this tremendous result which marks our fifth anniversary in the best possible way." Rolls-Royce's CEO, Ian Robertson, appears to ignore the multiplicity of decades prior to BMW's Rolls-Royce, but is happy with a worldwide sales increase of 25% and total Indian sales of eleven.

"We don't look at this as a car ad as much as we look at it as a statement." Scott Keogh, VP of Marketing at Audi, plays up the importance of Audi's Paramount Pictures-produced Super Bowl ad.