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Audi e-tron previews future electric sportscar?

September 16, 2009 at 9:52 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

Audi e-tron

Four motors – two on each axle – take the Audi e-tron from 0 to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds. Collectively, the motors put out 313 horsepower but check out the torque figures – 4,500Nm! That looks like a seriously insane number but remember that the concept of gearing for an electric car is totally different (most only have one gear) so you don’t exactly have multipliers like the first few low gears on a regular stepped transmission.

Audi e-tron

The torque that each electric motor produces can vary as required to create a torque vectoring effect. Perhaps you can call this e-quattro or something, but Audi doesn’t have a name for it. The car’s water-cooled lithium ion battery pack will allow a maximum range of about 248km but don’t expect that kind of range if you’re really gunning it on the B-roads. The rated range is for the NECD driving cycle.

Audi e-tron

Yes, it’s an electric R8 and all, that is very interesting. But I feel the most interesting part about this e-tron concept is the car-to-x communications system. It’s basically a wireless communication system where the Audi and various other data feed providers (traffic lights, other cars, etc) around the car are able to help the car make intelligent decisions on various systems. For this to really work, such a system really needs a standardised protocol but it’s very very interesting to hear what can be achieved.

Audi e-tron

For example – a car has spun out on a slippery road in a blind curve. Other vehicles are approaching quickly. The stuck vehicle uses car-to-x to send out a warning signal reporting the precise location of the hazard (itself). A corresponding warning then appears on the navigation system display of the approaching cars.

Look after the jump for a full press release with full details on the e-tron as well as some very hi-res images which you can use as wallpapers etc.
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Ford Focus BEV 15 car fleet to undergo testing

September 16, 2009 at 9:10 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

Ford Focus BEV

The Ford Focus BEV is a prototype zero emissions full electric vehicle, using the Focus as the base. The electric drive systems were supplied by Magna, and previews a future production car based on the next generation global C-segment Focus platform.

Ford Focus BEV

For now, a total of 15 Focus BEVs will be built and evaluated day to day in Europe to see if it is suitable for European road and driving conditions.The electric drive system uses a lithium ion battery with a capacity of 23kWh powering a chassis-mounted 100kW electric motor with 320Nm of torque.

This will give the Focus BEV a range of about 120km, which should be enough to get you to work and back in time for you to charge up again at night. Charging is expected to take between 6 to 8 hours using a regular 230V wall socket – no quick-charge figures were provided.

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1Malaysia F1 Team plans HQ at Sepang

September 16, 2009 at 7:19 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

1MalaysiaAlthough the 1Malaysia F1 Team would initially be based near Lotus’ hometown of Norfolk, there are plans to relocate to the Sepang International Circuit sometime in the future. Apparently the SIC has allocated between 8,000 to 12,000 hectres (er, this must be a misquote by MSM journos) of land for the F1 team’s headquarters. The site will be at the parking area before the tunnel to enter the podium building.

According to SIC CEO Razlan Razali, the HQ will be fully equipped with manufacturing and development facilities including a wind-tunnel and costs could be in the millions or even billions.

However he reiterated that these are just plans for now and it’s all only in preliminary stages. After the Raya holidays, the parties involved will sit together and have a discussion. He added that the team’s race machines could be ready in the matter of months, thanks to Lotus and other contractors and suppliers such as Cosworth, FondTech and Xtrac, who will supply the engine, aerodynamics and transmission respectively. They are not building from scratch.

Datuk Seri Najib clarified to the NST today that government support for the program would be through Proton. “If we want to export Proton and use Lotus engines, we need to show that our brand is strong and make sure they are well-known and accepted internationally. It is not merely about a sporting activity but major marketing for Proton and Malaysia,” said the PM. No figures were mentioned, as the PM said it was up to Proton to announce its involvement.

Whether you agree with this project or not, there’s no denying that everyone will be eagerly awaiting for two events in the future – the announcement of the drivers (expected to be on the 31st of October 2009), and the unveiling of the actual race machines. Word is that one will be Fairuz Fauzy and the other would be a foreigner with experience.

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New Bentley Mulsanne: full details and specifications including new interior shots!

September 16, 2009 at 5:48 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Bentley, Cars

Bentley Mulsanne

We now have more details and shots of the new Bentley Mulsanne, adding on to the exterior shots we’ve already seen when it was unveiled at Pebble Beach. The Mulsanne was previously known as the New Grand Bentley when it was being teased and building one takes nine weeks of extensive work.

Bentley Mulsanne

There are acres and acres of wood in the interior, bordering on excessive but you can get away with this if you use real wood instead of the fake stuff. The wood surrounds the entire interior as a ‘ring of wood’.

You can’t just throw wood at every possible interior panel and have it look expensive. There’s a certain art to it – material design, smell, colour harmony, they all play a part in whether the human brain perceives something as luxurious.

Bentley Mulsanne

Those seats look really comfortable and can be wrapped with a virtually unlimited selection of leather shades. There are 24 standard colours, but you can also customise this, so don’t be surprised if someone like Ms Hilton orders a pink Bentley with pink leather. The steering wheel itself takes 15 hours to hand-stitch, and this gets as long as 45 hours if the customer wants cross-stitching.

Every kind of in-car entertainment that you could potentially want is there – a 14 speaker premium audio system (Naim 20-speaker system optional), 6-CD changer, 40 GB drive, 8 inch LCD (stored behind an electrically operated veneered door), etc.

Bentley Mulsanne

Under the hood is a 6.75 litre V8 engine producing 512 PS and a massive 1020 Nm of torque, which peaks at a very low 1,800rpm. Yes, the car is large and heavy, but imagine 4 digits of torque kicking in at just over idle? The engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission, likely to be similiar to the unit in the Ghost and the 760Li. For the first time in a Bentley, there are steering wheel mounted gearshift controls.

Look after the jump for hi-res photos of the Mulsanne.
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GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate

September 16, 2009 at 4:46 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate

Here’s the wagon version of the V8-powered Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG – 630Nm of torquey goodness and enough bootspace for nearly all family activities. And remember, there’s even small rearward-facing seats in case you need them. These photos are pretty hi-res so they’re good for replacing that RS6 Avant wallpaper you’ve been having on your computer for the past few months, if you’re bored of the Audi.

Check out the hi-res photos after the jump.
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New Hyundai Getz SE – 300 unit limited run

September 16, 2009 at 3:01 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, Koreans, Local News

Hyundai Getz SE

Total sales for the Getz in Malaysia recently hit 20,000 units since its 2005 launch, so Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors have decided to create a new limited run Hyundai Getz SE (Special Edition) to celebrate. The Getz SE will be limited to a 300 unit run and each unit will have a serialized plate in the car starting with the number 001.

Hyundai Getz SE

The changes are all aesthetic as the 1.4 litre DOHC engine under the hood remains the same as before. The Getz SE is only available in a colour called “Icing White”. The front end receives a new grille and bumper. The side mirrors have integrated LED indicators. At the rear, the car gets a new bumper as well. The single exhaust tailpipe is hidden behind the mesh grille of the “diffuser-like” design.

Hyundai Getz SE

On the inside, the center dashboard and the door handles has a new brushed-aluminium look to them. The interior seats and steering wheel comes in leather. Wheels are 15 inchers of a new design and are wrapped with Dunlop D01 tyres. Hyundai says they picked the D01 because of its double V groove pattern which does well on wet roads, making it suitable for the Malaysian tropical climate.

Hyundai Getz SE

Other than that, the rest of the car is the same as the regular Getz. The SE version is available for both the 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic options.

The Hyundai Getz SE 1.4GL(M) is priced at RM 60,984.00 (OTR) in West Malaysia and RM 62,716.10 (OTR) in East Malaysia and the Hyundai Getz SE 1.4GL(A) is priced at RM 63,888.00 (OTR) in West Malaysia and RM 66,277.00 (OTR) in East Malaysia. Hyundai offers a 5 year or 300,000 warranty with the Getz.

Look after the jump for more shots of the Getz SE.
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Volkswagen Polo receives mild Abt touch

September 16, 2009 at 2:24 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Volkswagen

Abt Polo

Even the humble little Polo cannot escape the tuners, but it’s really not surprising considering it’s a good looking little car in the first place, very tempting to spice it up a little.

Abt Polo

Other than the Abt bodykit and suspension pack you see above, they’ve also worked some magic in the engine bay. The new 1.2 litre TSI engine has had its stock output upgraded from 105 horses up to 130 horses, yet Abt says fuel consumption and CO2 emission values remain stock standard.

Abt Polo

The 1.6 litre TDI version also peaks out at 130 horses, and this upgrade is available with the highest 105 horsepower tune. The 90 horsepower version gets upgraded to 110 horses while the baseline 75 horsepower version gets a boost up to 90 horses.

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Oxford Twins: MINI Coupe and Roadster Concepts

September 16, 2009 at 1:40 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

MINI Roadster Concept

What’s the biggest difference between a MINI Cabriolet and a MINI Roadster Concept? I’ll tell you. It’s simple – boot space. The MINI Cabriolet only has 125 litres of boot space with the roof down, and 170 litres with the roof up. The MINI Roadster Concept? 250 litres whether the roof is up or down.

The downside is that the roof folds into the space where the rear seats used to be, making the Roadster strictly a two seater. But in reality who uses the rear seats of the Cooper and Cabriolet, unless for some reason you’re punishing a friend?

MINI Roadster Concept

In the engine department, both are powered by the JCW MINI’s engine. The 1.6 litre turbocharged engine makes 211 horsepower and 260Nm of torque, with a short overboost of up to 280Nm over a short time.

Both these cars are going into production at Plant Oxford in the UK, bringing the MINI bodytype range up to 5 now. It could soon be 6 with the addition of an SUV later.

Look after the jump for very high-res images of the Oxford twins posing together as well as “individual portraits”. I wonder which one did BMW intend to be the wilder twin as depicted in the teaser videos? The Coupe or the Roadster?
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New Mk6 Volkswagen Golf R: 270 PS with AWD!

September 16, 2009 at 1:12 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf R

The Golf R is something quite different in the new Mk6 range. While the Mk5′s R car was the R32 with a 3.2 litre V6 putting power through an all-wheel drive system, the new Mk6 Golf R will feature a 270 PS version of the EA113 2.0 litre TSI engine. The engine code of EA113 seems to indicate this is a high power tuned up version of the Mk5 GTI engine (which is also found in the Scirocco) and not the EA888 timing chain engine that you will find in the Mk6 GTI.

Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen is really shouting about how the new turbo engine is so much more frugal than the V6 – 10.7 litres per 100km versus 8.5 litres per 100km on average. CO2 emissions have also dropped from 255g/km to 199g/km. Like the outgoing R32, the Golf R will use an all-wheel drive system.

This is the latest version of the 4Motion system which means now activation of the AWD differential no longer requires a difference in speed between the front and rear axles. This is because pressure is now activated by an electric pump. A computer controls the ideal drive torque for the rear axle, up to nearly 100% of drive torque.

Volkswagen Golf R

The sprint to 100km/h takes only 5.7 seconds with the manual and 5.5 seconds with the optional DSG, down from 6.5 seconds on the R32. Torque numbers for the new car is also higher than the outgoing model – 350Nm versus 320Nm. Peak torque starts at 2,500rpm and this figure continues all the way up to 5,000rpm. This means a nice fat and meaty powerband.

Turbo boost pressure is set at 1.2 bar. To handle the higher power output, the engine has reinforced bolts which is not found on the regular TSI engines. The conrods and cylinder block are also stronger.

Volkswagen Golf R

The ESP system now has a Sport mode which allows greater ‘allowances’ for you to fool around before the system kicks in to save you. The Golf R can be ordered with an optional DCC dynamic chassis control system, which varies various systems such as power steering assist maps for three different drive settings – Sport, Normal and Comfort.

Look after the jump for some nice original high resolution photos, for your wallpaper usage pleasure :)
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Sauber F1 gets a new owner: Qadbak Investments

September 15, 2009 at 11:51 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Sauber F1 Car

The BMW Sauber F1 Team has been saved! Now all they need to do is wait for FIA to get approval to extend the grid list to 28 cars and they’re good to go for the 2010 race year.

Swiss-based Qadbak Investments Ltd has purchased the Swiss-based Sauber F1 team for an undisclosed sum, though a number being mentioned is in the region of £70 million. Qadbak is a company that represents interests of a few unnamed Middle Eastern investors. Qadbak also recently took over Notts County, an English football club.

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