Auto News 5

In an effort to bring peace of mind to its customers following today's announcement in the U.S., the Japanese automaker has just released a statement to reiterate how it's ''business as usual'' for Suzuki in Canada.

"Suzuki Canada, including its automotive division, remains fully open for business in Canada and will be honouring all customer commitments," said Bill Porter, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

"Suzuki Canada has no current plans to discontinue automobile sales in Canada nor are we contemplating any form of court-supervised restructuring as they have done in the United States," he added.

That also means Suzuki won't be laying off workers and closing dealerships north of the border, at least not in the foreseeable future.

From GMM

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko has pointed some criticism at Mark Webber, after the Australian bowed out of mathematical contention for the 2012 title with a messy race in Abu Dhabi.

Webber made a bad start on Sunday, losing key places, until he clashed with Pastor Maldonado.

But as he pushed to recover from that spin, his second clash was with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, before he crashed heavily as Sergio Perez, Romain Grosjean and Paul di Resta fought for position.

"You can't have more errors than that in one race," Red Bull's driver manager Marko is quoted by Bild newspaper. "That was not a good day for him. The start was no good, and the accidents were not good. It's too bad, because it affects us in the constructors' championship."

Indeed, Red Bull could have wrapped up the teams' title in Abu Dhabi simply by scoring more points than Ferrari or McLaren.

Mark Webber watching the end of the race at Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Twitter)

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen's triumph in Abu Dhabi was important for more than just giving the Finn and Lotus the winning feeling.

Turun Sanomat newspaper reveals that boss Eric Boullier is so new to winning as a constructor in F1 that he had no idea what to do before mounting the podium for the team's trophy.

"I was a little lost with the protocol, but fortunately Fernando Alonso was helping and advising what I had to do," smiled the Frenchman.

2012 Abu Dhabi podium. (Photo: WRi2)

But as well as learning the winning procedures, Boullier admitted Raikkonen's breakthrough was timely amid reports team owners Genii are in talks with potential investors.

"We believe that we show the world that we are serious and can deliver and that's going to help some of these commercial discussions," he is quoted by Reuters.

And Raikkonen, while apparently failing to show his boss the ropes as they climbed the podium, said he hopes his win can help Lotus to stability and more success.

"We have had hard times lately," said the Finn. "I mean they've been working very hard the whole year but with the hard times there's a bit unknown in the whole situation.

"For the people who run the team, who own the team, for everybody, hopefully it gives a bit more support and hope that things will turn around and be even better than it's been this year," he added.

On November 24th, a convoy of MINI cars will leave BMW Group headquarters in Munich and drive all the way to Rovaniemi, located at the Arctic Circle, to bring Santa Claus Christmas letters written by children and adults from all over the world.

At the same time, MINI will try to set a Guinness record for the longest wishlist to Santa Claus.

The convoy will travel more than 3,000 kilometres and pass through a number of beautiful European cities such as Copenhagen and Stockholm.

Upon arriving in Rovaniemi, they will join the new MINI Paceman, the latest addition to the MINI family, as well as Rauno Aaltonen, the winner of the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally.

Looks like the magic of Christmas is working again...

Photo: Sébastien D'Amour

From GMM

Robin Frijns has revealed he once turned down an offer to join F1 world champion Red Bull's young driver development programme.

Actually, "I twice said no to Red Bull," the 21-year-old Dutchman, who in 2012 won the Renault World Series at his first attempt, is quoted by De Telegraaf newspaper.

This week in Abu Dhabi, he will test for Sauber, and is tipped to become the Swiss team's new reserve driver for 2013, probably taking over from Esteban Gutierrez who has been linked with the race seat.

But Frijns will also drive Red Bull's championship-leading RB8 as Yas Marina, as his prize for winning the aforementioned Renault-powered Formula Renault 3.5 category.

Robin Frijns said no to Red Bull. (Photo: Renault)

He has, however, ruled out joining Red Bull's junior programme, which has produced the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastien Buemi, Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Eric Vergne and others.

"I know their games," Frijns is quoted as saying.

"You cannot decide what you want to do, and if you don't do what they want, you're out. They treat you like a dog," he insisted.

"In my career I've always made my own choices and I want to continue to do that. I need people around me who I can trust, and so Red Bull is not for me, even though I have won more than Vettel did before he made his name in formula one," he ended.

Maserati fans will soon be able to marvel at the redesigned 2013 Quattroporte, which will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January.

The company plans to increase global sales to 50,000 units by 2015 with the help of three new models including the Quattroporte.

At 5.1 metres, the latter is bigger than its predecessor (5.05 m) yet still offers seating for four. Rear-seat legroom has been increased, and the dashboard sports a new look.

Available powertrains for the 2013 Maserati Quattroporte remain unspecified for now, so we'll have to wait until the NAIAS to find out.

Photo: Maserati

You Want Me to do What?
When I was asked to take a few teenage girls for an overnight camping trip as a youth group activity, my initial thought was: "Ahhh!" I love kids, but teenagers can be a handful, especially girls (I used to be one; a handful, that is) -- and they didn't all know each other. Then I thought that the combination of city girls roughin' it in the bush on an island might be a recipe for disaster.


Luckily, it was only for one night and I had heard they were all pretty great. So I accepted.

My next mission was to find appropriate transportation. I needed something with third-row seats, something that could accommodate backpacks/gear, something that was safe and something that would perform the task. The 2012 Honda Pilot came to mind. And with its refreshed looks, we'd be roughin' it in the bush in style. Oh yeah.

What's New?
For 2012 there are a few upgrades to Honda's popular-selling SUV. From the front, it sports a new fascia complete with a three-bar, chrome-style grille. You'll also find reconfigured multireflector halogen headlights and a new front air dam. Alloy wheels, 18" and with a six-spoke design, garner the exterior.

Inside, there's a more intuitive button setup on the centre stack. Thank goodness. I used to feel like I was swimming in a sea of buttons in previous Pilot models. It was almost like the car drove me! Now, there are still a few to pick from, but everything is nicely organized. They're grouped by function (i.e., climate, audio, navigation, etc.). It's a lot more user-friendly and didn't overwhelm me as it has in the past. Kudos to Honda for making a good SUV even better.

From the front, it sports a new fascia complete with a three-bar, chrome-style grille.(Photo: Alexandra Straud)

Pack Up and Pack In
Behind row three is 589 litres of trunk space. And yes, every single litre was put to good use. Backpacks, duffle bags, water bottles, anything a gal can load up went in the back and in various storage nooks throughout the cabin. Also, the third row has a 60/40 split so there can be passengers on one side and gear on the other.

And for the items that you really want hidden, or when you just need that extra little bit of room, the cargo area has a hidden storage well that gives an additional 79 litres of space. It can either be used alone or combined with the above floor capacity.

Other dimensions include 1,351 litres behind the second row and 2,464 litres of storage space behind the front seats.

Behind row three is 589 litres of trunk space.(Photo: Alexandra Straub)

Room for Eight
Included on all the Pilot models is a third row of seats which, in total, accommodates for eight people. Granted, behind the second row, legroom is on the sparse side for adults or taller individuals, kids seem to love it.

And when there was a carload of happy campers -- quite literally -- I couldn't ask for more.

Sing Louder
Now equipped on the Touring model is a 650-Watt AM/FM/CD Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media Audio playback capability and 10 speakers, including subwoofer and 5.1 Surround Sound Theatre Mode. That's a mouthful to say, however, it sure sounds good when the musical stylings of One Direction's "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" is blaring with the girls singing even louder. I should have brought earplugs. Then again, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Not sure why I just admitted that, but the song is really cute. Don't judge me, please.

Back it Up
With an SUV jam packed to the ceiling with personal items, it's hard to get a clear view -- let alone any view -- of what's going on behind when backing up. However, thanks to the multiview rear camera, which comes with such settings as wide, normal and top-down view, it makes reversing into the campground stall a lot easier.

Power Talk
The combination of a 5-speed automatic transmission in the 2012 Honda Pilot with Grade Logic Control and a 3.5L V6 engine helped all of us arrive at our overnight destination promptly and smoothly. There's a total of 250 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque generated from its engine and it seemed sufficiently adequate for the type of daily driving that the Pilot can be used for. Additionally, the Variable Torque Management 4-wheel drive system (VTM-4) makes on- and off-the-beaten-path driving a lot easier.

The fully independent suspension in the 2012 Honda Pilot created confidence behind the wheel. Its stability is noteworthy, with or without a gaggle of gals inside. I also particularly like the ease at which the power-assisted, rack-and-pinion steering moved the vehicle.

With all the systems combined, Honda's estimated fuel economy results are 12.3L/100km in the city and 8.2L/100km on the highway.

There's a total of 250 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque generated from its engine and it seemed sufficiently adequate for the type of daily driving that the Pilot can be used for.(Photo: Alexandra Straub)

Safe and Sound
Honda's Pilot comes standard with their Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which helps reduce the amount of crash energy through the passenger compartment. Among a host of other safety features keeping your loved ones safe are a 4-wheel Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control, a variety of airbags throughout, and more.

When it comes to the sound part of "safe and sound," improvements have been made to the vehicle's overall noise, harshness and vibration to keep the cabin hushed in moments of driving tranquility.

Quiet Time
The trip was a success. Not only because the girls had a great time but because we could fit all their gear in a good looking vehicle and ride comfortably. And I still have my hearing, although the echo of a teenage boy band song still haunts me today.

Price
The 2012 Honda Pilot Touring has an MSRP of $48,520.

This 2012 Honda Pilot Touring  was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.

Sebastian Montoya, the 7-year-old son of NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya and wife Connie has started his motorsport career racing karts in Florida.

Young Sebastian started karting at the tender age of 4, away from the media to avoid putting any excessive pressure on his small shoulders.

This year, Sebastian entered some real races, competing in the Rotax Micro Max Challenge held at the Homestead-Miami circuit near Miami, Florida.

In the Fall Championship, Sebastian scored 354 points to rank 8th. The youngster drove a Birel chassis powered by a spec Rotax 125cc engine fitted with the famous No. 42 his father sports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

Sebastian Montoya. (Photo: Twitter Juan Pablo Montoya)

The motorsport bug runs in the familty: Juan Pablo's father, Pablo, was a racer himself. Juan Pablo's younger brother, Federico, also raced karts and competed in the 2004 ADAC Formula BMW series, without too much success. Oh, Federico was also a teammate of a certain Sebastian Vettel at Mücke Motorsport that same year...

Tony Fernandes, the Malaysian businessman and owner of AirAsia airlines, will soon leave his position of team principal of the Caterham Formula 1 Team.

Fernandes, who created his F1 team for the 2010 World Championship (under the Team Lotus name) told British motorsport publication Autosport that he will step down at the end of this season to concentrate on the road car business.

Last year, Fernandes purchased Caterham, a small British sports car manufacturer, and has recently signed an agreement with the Renault group to produce the new Alpine road cars.

Fernandes has always said that his days as F1 team boss were numbered, as he wanted to more experienced people than him to run the team.

“On the racing side we have come to the conclusion that it is better if someone else takes over the team principal role to move forward,” Fernandes said in a joint interview with Autosport's sister publication Autocar.

The Malaysian did not say who his successor will be, but he indicated it would be someone already involved in F1.

Unable to maintain profitability due to the currency exchange rate and low sales volumes, among other things, American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) announced that it will stop distributing automobiles in the U.S.

ASMC has sold only 26,000 cars in 2011.

Mind you, the company will keep selling Suzuki motorcycles, ATVs and marine products.

Current Suzuki car dealers will smoothly transition into a network of authorized service and parts dealers to allow ASMC to fully honour all warranties.

The fate of the automaker's Canadian operations has yet to be determined, but don't expect showrooms to close anytime soon.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone has named Magny Cours as the likely venue for a 2013 French grand prix.

Quadruple world champion Alain Prost was in Abu Dhabi last weekend for talks with the F1 chief executive about Paul Ricard's race bid, and potential investors.

But Ecclestone is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "If we go to France (next year), it will be Magny Cours."

The country has been missing from the F1 calendar since Magny Cours, located in rural France some 250 kilometres from Paris, last hosted the sport in 2008.

With three French drivers now on the grid, Ecclestone and France are contemplating the race's revival, after the 2013 calendar shrank from 20 to 19 races due to the problems in New Jersey.

Paul Ricard was until now considered the obvious favourite, partly due to the Le Castellet venue's links to Ecclestone.

But Ecclestone insisted Paul Ricard is not owned by him but is merely part of his family trust called Bambino, which is "nothing to do with me".

"If we go to France, it will be Magny Cours," he added.

The 82-year-old Briton goes so far as to admit a potential date is lined up -- 23 June, the week before Silverstone.

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" said Ecclestone.

New Jersey was set to take place next June 16, the week after Canada, but the race's delay has now caused a theoretical three-week gap between Canada and Britain.

GT3 cars will have the opportunity to join the GTC category in European Le Mans Series' next season.

In order to prevent too small fields, the ELMS' organizers had created this year a new category called GTC, which includes cars like the Ferrari F430 Challenge or the Porsche Carrera Cup.

However, the GTC class did not experience the success expected.

Photo: Blancpain Endurance Series

From 2013, the GTC class will allow GT3 spec cars, such as the GTs that currently compete in the GT World Championship, the Blancpain Endurance Series or the GT Open international.

Next season, the ELMS championship will stage five rounds : the opening race in Silverstone as a support race for the WEC, the second race in Imola with the French GT Championship, and the remaining three rounds as part of the World Series by Renault.

From GMM

Still among F1's grandee teams, there are signs McLaren needs to up its game if it wants to win its first title since 2008 in the near future.

Indeed, the British team is losing its last champion, Lewis Hamilton, to Mercedes next year, leaving Jenson Button as the senior driver.

But Button said in Abu Dhabi: "Since I've been here, this has been the worst year. It's been tricky, even on good weekends.

"We've had a problem pretty much every weekend lately. We need to stop it. I don't get it," he added.

"I'm not happy with where it is at the moment. But hopefully next year will be perfect."

Lewis Hamilton was leading the race before his retirement. (Photo: WRi2)

On Sunday, pole sitter Hamilton's MP4-27 failed as he commandingly led in Abu Dhabi, but team boss Martin Whitmarsh blamed the problem on engine supplier Mercedes.

Hamilton, however, said there have also been "failures and issues with pitstops and so on".

"If my car was as reliable as Sebastian (Vettel)'s or Fernando (Alonso)'s I would be right up with them now," he insisted. "Maybe ahead, who knows."

The man who will replace Hamilton at McLaren next year is Sergio Perez, who according to Whitmarsh earned the seat due to his "giant killing" performances for Sauber this year.

But since the Mexican's 2013 deal was announced, 22-year-old Perez's form has slipped dramatically.

Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn played down the link between Perez's recent struggle for points and his impending team switch, describing it as a "coincidence".

"There's nothing we can reproach him for because he's trying his best to do something good for the team before he leaves," she is quoted by the Independent.

"But we definitely will talk to him."

Indeed, Whitmarsh admitted there is no guarantee Perez will thrive once he is thrust under the spotlight at McLaren.

"There have been drivers who have talent, can live with that pressure and deliver, and others that can't," he said.

"It would be foolish of me to sit here and say that in taking a very young driver there is not an element of risk."

Button agreed, saying: "Obviously it's very difficult to know what he (Perez) brings to the team, because he's not there yet.

"With Lewis leaving, obviously the team loses a very fast driver. It is a big loss but things change and you move on and adapt.

"I think Sergio will be fast but I really don't know," he added.

Despite being in this crazy world I call “work” for more than 7 years, I'd yet to attend the yearly gathering of Canadian automotive jounalists known as AJAC's Test Fest. This year marked my first attendance; and I have no idea why I waited so long to participate.

Nestled away between vineyards and gloriously winding country roads sits an airport in Ontario's Niagara-on-the-Lake district. A serene, picturesque location with The Falls just a short drive away, the airport serves as a central location where all the cars are kept, as well as our home base for car changes and meals.

As the leaves continued their annual transformation and the backdrop was splashed with autumnal hues, a sea of brand new vehicles in a rainbow of colours stretched before me. Kid in a candy store? You have no idea. After completing my assigned categories and submitting my votes towards AJAC's Canadian Car of the Year, it was time to have a little fun - meaning, I could finally drive cars I'd yet to test throughout the year.

That's the beauty of AJAC's Test Fest: it gives journalists the opportunity to clock wheel time in vehicles they'd probably never get to drive due to scheduling conflicts, lack of press vehicles in their location, etc. And our inability to drive everything hinders our ability to properly evaluate the cars we drive.

And so, I just had to take out a Porsche 911 Carrera S, with Matt in tow behind the wheel of a Corvette 427.

There's something about the openness and freedom that comes with driving along country roads. Flat and winding, they're enticing to a fault and thrilling (if you make them so). With vineyards on either side as far as the eye could see, blue sky above and the temperature hovering in the mid-20s, it was the ideal setting to really experience the vehicles we chose to pilot.

From 911s to Sentrass and everything in between, I was handed key after key to explore random back roads, kick up multicoloured leaves, dodge wild turkeys and stop short to watch two young deer step from a vineyard to stare doe-eyed at me in my Acura ILX.

And it would seem that AJAC's Test Fest is about more than just the cars. This is the only time of year us Canadian auto journalists are together in one place, under one roof -- eating together, driving together, chatting together -- and it gives us all a chance to pick each other's brains, discover our opinions on the year's cars and to really put our evaluations to the test as we choose the Canadian Car of the Year.

From new friendships to new love affairs (it's rather telling that I chose to drive the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 more than once and not the MINI Cooper S Roadster...), my first Test Fest experience was one I'll surely never forget. And really, any event that allows me to cherry pick from a lineup of vehicles that includes a Mercedes-Benz SL550, Camaro ZL1, Fiat 500 Abarth and Ford Focus ST is one I'll not miss again.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

From GMM

Christian Horner has admitted "human error" led to Sebastian Vettel having to start Sunday's Abu Dhabi grand prix from the back of the field.

After qualifying third in Abu Dhabi, the championship leader was asked by his Red Bull engineer to "stop the car" on the track, apparently with a technical problem.

But when the scrutineers tried to extract the mandatory 1-litre fuel sample from the RB8, the pot fell a few hundred millilitres short, resulting in the German's disqualification.

Sebastian Vettel stopped after qualifying at Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

He started the race from the pitlane, Vettel only rescuing his title lead by charging through the field to third.

So what happened at the end of qualifying?

"To be honest, we have no clear answer but I suspect that it was human error," team boss Horner is quoted by Germany's Sport1.

"Renault gave us a clear statement that we should stop the car. Because we feared that it could be something that damages the engine, we followed their instructions," he added.

"We had to explain to the stewards why we stopped the car, they accepted our argument, but then we had to give the one litre sample."

Horner said Renault has not been able to explain why too little fuel was put into the RB8.

As we all know, hybrids are the “cool” trend in the car industry right now. From more powerful batteries to making them drive as close to a gas-powered vehicle as they can, hybrids are the “it” models; and Ford's decided to take on one of the founding fathers of the movement with their brand new C-MAX Hybrid.

Starting at just below $30k, the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid is a viable option to the long-standing and already well known Toyota Prius: Yes, finally you have another fuel-efficient, planet-saving option.


It's all about the battery
As is the case with all hybrids, the battery is the most important element. An air-cooled 1.6 kWh lithium ion battery works together with a 2.0L Atkinson cycle I-4 gas engine to give the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid a combined 188 horses. Coupled to Ford's electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT), the Ford C-MAX is actually quite pleasant to drive and feels relatively peppy.

While driving it on the road with colleagues who were in other cars, it did tend to lag behind (despite my best efforts), but then that's the point of the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. Fuel efficiency is the name of the game here, and with an EPA in the 4.0L/100km range, that's already better than the Prius. With the ability to hit 100 km/h on battery alone, the Ford C-MAX isn't just a slow-moving hybrid. This vehicle is meant to function in everyday situations be that on the highway or on small city streets.

An air-cooled 1.6 kWh lithium ion battery works together with a 2.0L Atkinson cycle I-4 gas engine to give the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid a combined 188 horses.(Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

More car than hybrid
Here's the thing: Hybrids and EVs are often so styled and so design-y that they're just a bit much. Looking at the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid you'd be hard-pressed to guess its green origin until you noticed the “hybrid” badge on the side and back. And that's a good thing.

With dimensions close to that of the largest Prius family member, the v, the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid is bred to be a family car for city dwellers. With roomy front seats and a good-size backseat as well, the Ford C-MAX seems practical enough. That is, until you sit in said backseat. In all my years testing vehicles, I have never sat in a backseat so uncomfortable: with barely any padding and a very upright seatback, the rear of the C-MAX is not where you want to be for any length of time.

However, as far as interior looks go, the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid is a winner, especially when compared to other hybrids on the road today. Instead of fancy buttons and knobs and unconventional shift gears, the C-MAX sticks to tradition with a proper gear lever. The middle stack looks rather futuristic, but then so do most across Ford's current lineup. With SYNC and MyFord Touch available as well as a host of other tech gadgets such as Ford's SOS Post-Crash Alert System, Rain-Sensing Wipers and an 8” display screen.

As interior looks go, the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid is a winner, especially when compared to other hybrids on the road today.(Photo: Michel Deslauriers)

A hybrid by any other name...
As you all know by now, I am not a fan of the way hybrids drive. Stunted and held back, hybrids are not driver's cars by any stretch of the imagination. And that's fine. I don't need to like it because I am not in the market to drive one. However, those in the market for a hybrid will most definitely enjoy the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid, this I can guarantee.

With a decent starting price, a design that appeals to at larger audience and an interior that's not so futuristic that it will go out of style in the coming six months, and a drive that's both decent and fuel-efficient, there's very little not to like. Some might call Ford brave for taking on the likes of the Prius clan; I think they're smart to do it because they are doing it the right way, with a viable product that could possibly dethrone the founding father of it all.

Volvo is testing a new system with C30 Electric cars that is reportedly six times faster than today's on-board devices.

This 22 kW fast-charger provides a full charge in only 90 minutes. Plugging into an ordinary household outlet gives a charging time of 8-10 hours, depending on the available current.

"We know that short recharging times and extensive operating range are a necessity for potential electric car consumers. The fast-charging unit helps cure what is known as range anxiety since the car can be more easily recharged during the day,'' says Lennart Stegland, Vice President, Electric Propulsion Systems, Volvo Car Corporation. ''And even if you don't have enough time for a 1.5-hour charge, plugging in for just 30 minutes will give you enough power for another 80 kilometres of driving."

Photo: Volvo

Several medias got overly exited when the small HRT Formula 1 team called for a press conference in Shanghai Thuesday afternoon.

Several news agencies predicted that Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua would get a full-time ride at HRT alongside Pedro de la Rosa, replacing Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan.

The truth is that China paid tribute to Ma Qing Hua at the International Tennis Centre in Shanghai after becoming the first ever Chinese Formula 1 driver and achieving this historic milestone for Chinese motorsport.

Many Chinese authorities and HRT Formula 1 Team Business Director, David Mancebo were present to honour the Chinese driver. Hua received a nice present, but no full-time ride with the team, yet.

Ma Qing Hua. (Photo: HRT F1 Team)

American Suzuki Motor Corp., beset by low sales, cutthroat competition and unfavorable foreign exchange rates, said it will pull out of the U.S.

American Suzuki Motor's automotive run in the United States began in 1985 with its Samurai subcompact SUV. And although the Samurai was a smash hit out of the gate, subsequent bad press and legal snarls derailed the brand permanently.