Auto News For Thursday, May 12, 2016 - Nissan Buys 34%, $2.2 Billion Stake In Mitsubishi Motors

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Thursday, May 12, 2016. 

34%
Japanese automaker Nissan is buying a 34% controlling stake worth $2.2 billion in Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors. – Bloomberg

CAVALIER
Before the Cruze was the Cobalt. Before the Cobalt there was the Cavalier. General Motors is reviving the Cavalier nameplate, but not in North America. – Car & Driver

RISKY BUSINESS
"We may experience delays in realizing our projected timelines and cost and volume targets for the production, launch, and ramp of our Model 3 vehicle." So says Tesla. – Los Angeles Times

ZOMBIES
There are a large number of long-expired vehicles which linger, and linger, and linger on vehicle lots. – TTAC

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FASTEST-GROWING CARS
Canada's new vehicle market is exploding, in a good way. But Canadian sales of passenger cars are fading. Yet there are cars, including the two top-selling cars, which are accelerating rapidly. – Autofocus

FRENCH
If you're not into quirky French cars, what's wrong with you? But even if you don't want to read this Citroën C4 vs. Citroën 2CV pseudo-comparison test, you'll love the Parisian photography. – CAR

WATCH
We're only a couple of weeks away from the 2016 International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race, known colloquially as the Isle of Man TT. If you're not familiar with the absurdity of the TT, this POV from Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop will very quickly familiarize you.

FORD TAURUS ALTERNATIVES ACROSS THE POND

After reviewing the 2010 Ford Taurus SEL AWD for GoodCarBadCar.net, my curiousity was piqued on numerous levels. Concluding that the Taurus's innards were recompense reward for its gargantuan dimensions ended the question of how people live with the problem of finding a garage big enough to hold it. Realizing that people of my generation don't need to buy the Taurus to like the Taurus; and that people of my generation liking the Taurus (even without buying it) is a very good thing for Ford helped allay my concerns over a name that is not well spoken of.

With those wonderings settled, I was left to muse upon one other stupefaction. If you wanted a Taurus but couldn't have one, what would you be left with as alternatives? Take money out of the equation, because you can afford it. Remove age from the debate, since you're over 40. That leaves geography as a reason for your lack of Taurus purchasability. You, yes you, live in Europe.

Here, then, are a handful of Ford Taurus alternatives available only Across The Pond.

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CITROEN C6: Nobody actually buys a large French car. That doesn't stop Renault, Peugeot, or Peugeot partner Citroen from releasing a new model every now and then. The C6 happens to be one of The Good Car Guy's 100 Favourite Cars, and to the best of my knowledge, that hasn't helped sales either. Its strange concave rear window, relexed demeanor, and punchy diesels would make the C6 feel about as different from the Ford Taurus as the Taurus is different from the Crown Victoria. Rumour has it that sales of the C6 in Germany, a fairly crucial market, have been about ten times smaller than Citroen had hoped would be the case. Were the Citroen C6 available in America, its pricing would likely overlap with the Taurus Limited and Taurus SHO while placing a greater emphasis on luxury.

Perfect American Owner: Gwyneth Paltrow

SKODA SUPERB: Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary has done a good job modifying the Passat platform. The styling is conservative; the design of the rear end revolutionary; the desirability factor negligible. However, Skoda is all about screaming value. A Skoda Superb kitted out with a corncucopia of luxury fittings and all the fuel economy you'd expect of a large all-wheel drive V6 sedan wouldn't be likely to surpass . Sales of the Superb in the UK in 2009 will be hard-pressed to be as high as Taurus sales in one good month in the U.S.

Perfect American Owner: An MIT Physics Professor

FORD S-MAX: Clearly not a large sedan - not even large in comparison to America's "mini"vans - the S-Max is a gorgeous MPV with dynamic talent and available turbocharged power. In Europe, flocks of former mainstream car buyers have turned to niche products. Many of those products are low-powered luxury-badged cars, others are MPVs like the S-Max or Renault Scenic, while more still are crossovers like the Ford Kuga or tall six-passenger hatches like the Honda FR-V and Fiat Multipla. The S-Max is a great way to find the space you need without sacrificing the style that, if lacking, could make you look a little too footballer's mum. Pricing sneaks in below the Taurus level. Sales figures are split amongst many Ford alternatives like the Focus wagon, C-Max, and Galaxy.

Perfect American Owner: Brad Pitt

THE UGLY... FROM THE 2008 PARIS AUTO SHOW

The good and the bad have already been declared. We're only discussing previously un-seen-at-GCBC cars from the Paris auto show currently underway. Audi and Renault snuck cars into the good, Lexus and Peugeot forced cars into the bad. Nissan and Renault are found in the weird department.

Now for another French automaker. Citroen's GT Concept is a stunner. Visually dramatic. Long; low; and lean like a Bugatti Veyron. Unlike anything else available.

But placed beside an Aston Martin DBS, Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Porsche Carrera GT, or even a Bentley Continental GT, the Citroen is, dare I say it, ugly.

That's not to say the Citroen deserves to be considered bad. To put it simply, good is the opposite of bad; good can't be ugly; but ugly is not the twin of bad. I even sort of like the Citroen GT Concept. It is, after all, unlike anything else. But pretty, handsome, beautiful, cute, or lovely? No. It's ugly. 

In a similar vein, the Mazda Kiyora Concept has unique elements and impressive angles. All-around, however, the Mazda Kiyora is a letdown, especially compared with some earlier like-minded Mazdas like the Riyuga or Taiki.The Kiyora designers stuck with a theme. Everything sweeps. Rather, almost everything. The Kiyora looks pudgy and the aftertaste is somewhat Mazda-of-the-90s. That's not good, it's not bad. It's just ugly.

CARS OF CANDIDATES

The Associated Press has collected some info on the past and present vehicles of presidential candidates. It's easy to find the car lovers amongst them - those who don't know an inline-4 from a V8 - and those who must have at least modicum of taste.

Hillary first drove a '62 Olds Cutlass. Sneak a peek or more thru Bill or Hillary's autobiographies, and you soon discover that they either love cars or remember them well. Mrs. Clinton is now, of course, driven in many'a Secret Service vehicle, although she makes note of a "Ford hybrid."

As does John Edwards, in addition to an '04 Chrysler Pacifica (indiciating the value of John's vehicle is equivalent to the price of one haircut) and a 13-year old GMC pickup. John's first car was a Plymouth Duster. Bill Richardson drove a used Mustang in a former day, but enjoys his Jeep Wrangler now. Barack Obama makes use of a Chrysler 300C, but once "extensively" used his grandfather's Ford Granada.

Giuliani? "I don't drive. I navigate." Sure, Rudolph. He drove a used Dodge whilst newly licensed. A little more specificity, please.

John McCain knows where it's at. The Arizona Senator drove a 1958 Corvette but has a Cadillac CTS now. Good job, John. Mitt Romney drove a 2-year old American Motors Rambler Classic in 1965 when he went to college. Mitt, who was involved in a head-on crash in France while driving a Citroen DS in 1968, has possession of an '05 Ford Mustang Convertible and a '62 Rambler American.

Fred Thompson speaks about an old red pickup. Fred hasn't elaborated yet. Mike Huckabee used to be the driver of a Mercury Montego but makes use of two Chevrolet's now: an '07 Tahoe and a '95 Silverado.

What have we learned? Unless some of these cars are using base V6's instead of the implied V8's, the candidate's vehicles likely contribute to an average of 16/21mpg, city/highway.

Keep talking, guys. Gimme all that ethanol and biofuel and dependency on foreign oil stuff.