Paul Tan on the Automotive Industry
MINI has wasted no time in quickly churning out a promo video for the new MINI Countryman – BMW MINI’s first four door. As usual it shows the Countryman as the center of an ‘active lifestyle’, trying to burn it into your heads that you won’t have a happening enough social life unless you have a now-not-so-mini MINI.
Watch the video after the jump.
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We know what McLaren’s new MP4-12C sports car looks like already but in reality the car is actually pretty much still under development. McLaren says it has begun testing the latest Experimental Prototype (XP) version of the car at various test locations around the world, including the IDIADA facility in Spain. IDIADA should be a familiar name to some of you – it was IDIADA’s crash test facilities that Proton used to ensure the Proton Exora had good crash safety.
In the video below, you can watch the XP8 and XP10 in action. They are the names for two of the “XP Beta phase” prototypes. They are wrapped with black matte vinyl. Differences from the initial “XP phase” cars from last year include a revised M838T turbo engine, a transmission with revised gear ratios, a more efficient cooling package, new and improved suspension geometry, and an upgrade electrical system.
Watch the video below, which explains better what the differences are between prototypes of different stages. You also get to hear how the new McLaren turbo engine sounds like in the MP4-12C!
The BMW X6 in standard form is already an excessive vehicle, and the range topping BMW X6 M is to the Greenpeace what hardcore criminals are to us. So what makes this monsterous beast, based on the X6 M, tuned by Hamann and named the Tycoon Evo M? Evil, and here’s why…
As a hate figure, the Tycoon looks the part, with front and the rear wing extensions (expands width by 60 mm) adding to the already massive presence of the X6. Side skirts, a front apron with LED daytime running lights and enlarged air inlets in the front and the carbon bonnet further diffrentiate it from the original (the latter also improves air flow). At the rear, Hamann’s unique bumper accomodates a sports exhaust system with central double pipes. Topping off the big brute looks are 23-inch “unique forged anodized” wheels. Centre of gravity is lowered by 40 mm.
Hamann says that the most significant performance enhancing component is the stainless steel high performance exhaust system with metal catalysers. A remapped ECU and the upliftment of the speed limiter are the other changes. As a result, the Tycoon produces 670 bhp and 780 Nm of torque, a big jump of 115 bhp and 100 Nm from the standard X6 M. 0-100 km/h is done in only 4.2 seconds and maximum speed is 300 km/h.
This monster will be in Geneva, but for now view the gallery after the jump.
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The Proton Concept Car, which will be unveiled at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, will showcase a series hybrid drivetrain designed and developed by Lotus Engineering.
Integrated into the Italdesign penned concept is the Lotus Range Extender engine, which uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine to replenish charge in the battery and provide electrical power for the drive motors when battery levels are low. This method is much like GM’s E-REV system in the Chevrolet Volt, where the internal combustion engine does not power the wheels, and only acts as a “generator”. The battery can also be recharged via household sockets to achieve initial electric-only operation. No range is given for the pure electric mode, just a mention that it’s “acceptable”. Click here for more technical info on the Lotus Range Extender engine.
Dr Robert Hentschel, Director of Lotus Engineering said: “The hybrid drivetrain of the Proton Concept is another example of Lotus Engineering’s expertise in electrical and electronic systems and efficient performance engines. The high efficiency Lotus Range Extender engine, which we unveiled to great acclaim at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year is perfectly suited for the advanced series hybrid we have created for the Proton Concept city car. It is an exciting example of the diverse range of highly efficient total propulsion systems that Lotus Engineering continues to develop for its partners and clients.”
A hi-res copy of the image above is available after the jump.
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BMW should be given some recognition award for sniffling out niches no one thought existed (or bothered to look into) with cars such as the X6 and 5-Series GT. The latter is a little puzzling for me; why a gigantic hatch when BMW already has a complete range of ‘X’ vehicles of varying sizes, the 5-Series Touring for those who need to lug around more, and the 7-Series in two wheelbase choices for those who want to lounge? Perhaps they were looking to phase out the 5er Touring?
It looks like that’s not going to happen as the wagon variant of BMW’s latest F10 5-Series will make its world debut at the Auto Mobil International (AMI) Show in Leipzig, Germany in April. By tradition, the German market chalks up the most significant sales for the 5er Touring, so it makes sense to launch it there. Furthermore, BMW has ties with the city, as its plant there builds the 1-Series and the latest X1. AMI will also see domestic debuts for the F10 Sedan, refreshed X5, and updated 3-Series Convertible.
This blog has already driven the F10 5-Series sedan at its international media launch in Portugal. Click here to read the report and view the gallery.
Turbocharging is the trend today, as car manufacturers turn to forced induction to aid their downsizing programmes for better efficiency and emissions – even BMW couldn’t resist the lure of turbos! However, nothing beats the joy that a sweet, high-revving naturally aspirated engine delivers, so when rumours that the Audi RS5 is to come with a NA V8 (we also saw the 8000-plus rpm tacho in the leaked brochure images), we at paultan.org got properly excited.
Well, it’s confirmed now. The RS5 is powered by a 4.2-litre FSI V8 engine (also found in the old RS4 and R8, but with higher output here) which produces peak power of 450 bhp at 8,250 rpm, while torque is rated at 430 Nm produced between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. Audi promises that this hand made engine will be “right at home even at high revs – almost like a race engine”. Intensive fine-tuning of the dual-branch intake and exhaust system allows the undersquare engine to breathe freely; four adjustable camshafts and tumble flaps in the intake manifold facilitate mixture formation.
The R-tronic semi auto gearbox in the R8 haven’t received favourable reviews, so Audi has developed a twin-clutch, seven-speed ‘box for the RS5, which was specially reinforced to accommodate the high-revving V8. There’s also a launch control program for effortless traffic light drag racing.
The RS5 is no lightweight at 1,725 kg, but still manages 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds while top speed is capped at 250 km/h. Audi can increase that to 280 km/h upon request. Yes, please. Ingolstadt is also proud of the RS5′s comparatively frugal nature – fuel consumption is 9.3 km/l, far less than its main rivals, says Audi.
Like all RS models, the RS5 comes with quattro permanent all-wheel drive, but the self-locking crown-gear center differential is a new development. It’s compact, light and attains a high efficiency ratio. Thanks to its package of plates, the differential can widely vary the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles – up to 70% can flow to the front or as much as 85% towards the rear. The standard ratio is rear biased at 40:60. A rear axle differential that actively distributes torque between the rear wheels is optional.
This “new quattro” operates in conjunction with electronic torque vectoring, controlling all four wheels. If one of the inside wheels becomes imbalanced while the vehicle is on the limit, the system slightly decelerates the wheel to cancel wheel spin, resulting in improved traction while “generating a yaw moment which aids cornering”.
The speed-dependent servotronic steering in the RS 5 is especially taut, claims its maker. The standard Audi drive select allows the driver to switch among three modes – comfort, auto, and dynamic – to adjust steering, gearbox, differential, engine and exhaust system. If your RS5 is equipped with the MMI navigation system, you can customize your own profile. The rear spoiler automatically extends at a speed of 120 km/h and retracts at 80 km/h.
Feast you eyes on the officially released gallery after the jump!
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We searched long and hard for a statement that could sum up the Mercedes-Benz F800 Style concept in the extremely lengthy press release before chancing upon this: “The F800 Style is both a technology platform and a showcar”. Stuttgart calls the F800 Style, which will make its world premiere in Geneva, a “research vehicle” that previews not only the design path Mercedes is heading in, but eco-friendly tech for the future.
Let’s start with the styling bit. The F800 Style wears the wide grille, big logo face of the SLS AMG, in turn inspired by the classic “Gullwing”, which is the look we can expect from future Mercs (the mysterious unnamed sculpture they showed at the Detroit show had the same nose). Design boss Gorden Wagener has confirmed this with Autocar UK, adding that the first production car to sport the new look will be the next CLS, set for launch later this year. Besides the front design, the rear horizontal light bar also pays homage to the 300SL. Wagener adds that although Mercedes uses past designs as inspiration, they will never do “retro”, “trendy” or “sacrifice design for aerodynamics”. We can also look forward to all future Mercs having LED daytime running lights, although they aren’t meant to look aggressive.
The “technology platform” bit is held up by two advanced propulsion proposals – plug-in hybrid and fuel cell. The former combines a 300 bhp V6 petrol engine with a hybrid module rated at 109 bhp. The lithium-ion batteries with a storage capacity of over 10 kWh can be recharged either at a charging station or a household power socket, and can solely power the car for up to 30 km. Claimed fuel consumption is 34.5 km/l coupled to CO2 emissions of only 68 g/km. Performance isn’t sacrificed for this – 0-96 km/h is done in 4.7 seconds while top speed is 250 km/h. In electric mode, maximum velocity is 120 km/h. This system will be launched together with the next-gen S-Class.
Next up is fuel cell tech. The fuel cell generates current by chemically reacting hydrogen with oxygen, producing water vapor as the only emission. The components of the fuel cell drive are not new; Mercedes already has them installed in the limited edition B-Class F-CELL. However, unlike the front-wheel drive B-Class, the rear driven F800 has the fuel cell located in the front, while the compact electric motor (136 bhp, 290 Nm) is installed near the rear axle. Mercedes intends to show the flexibility of its F-CELL system, which can be used for different drive configurations.
On the safety front, Distronic Plus Traffic Jam Assistant makes its debut. A development of the existing Distronic Plus, this new system allows the F800 to automatically follow the vehicle in front of it into curves. It’s capable of recognising the difference between driving along curved roads and turning, which means it does not “blindly” follow the vehicle up in front – for example, when it changes lanes in order to exit the highway. The result is that at speeds of up to about 40 km/h, Traffic Jam Assistant can steer the car by itself. If that’s too scary a prospect, drivers can override the system at any time.
Also new is PRE-SAFE 360°, which anticipates another vehicle potentially crashing into it from behind. It reacts by engaging the brakes around 600 milliseconds before a rear-end collision occurs. Mercedes says that the key advantage of this is that braking one vehicle helps prevent secondary accidents such as those that occur when the car is pushed uncontrolled into an intersection or a pedestrian crossing, for instance.
More pictures after the jump.
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The 1st May new fuel subsidy system expected to be announced in March this year will likely involve those who qualify for subsidies only having a certain amount of litres of subsidised fuel a month. If you use beyond that allocated amount, you will have to pay the full price for your fuel.
The amount of litres to be given is said to be between 200 to 300 litres per vehicle and if you have multiple vehicles, you will only get 1 car’s worth of subsidised fuel. I think it would be interesting to set up a poll and see how much of fuel you use every month.
I easily refill my car about 6 to 7 times a month or more because I travel alot, and each refill is about 65 litres. That would peg my usage at about 400 to 450 litres per month, which means if I qualify for the full 300 litres of subsidy (hypothetically), I would have to pay the full price for my remaining 150 litres of fuel.
Assuming a subsidy of 50 sen per litre – that’s about RM75 extra a month. But then of course, since there is word that engine capacity is going to be taken into consideration, even though my daily driver’s engine capacity is of less than 2,000cc, because I own an old E30 with a 2.5 litre engine that I want to restore, I will probably not qualify for any subsidies.
What’s your story? Share your petrol/diesel consumption pattern with all of us here, and perhaps with luck some relevant people in the ministry can observe your comments and it can be taken into consideration. Let’s try to be constructive as well as keep to the topic for this particular post’s comments.
So – how much fuel in terms of litres do you consume a month? Do you expect that you’ll qualify for subsidies? Vote in the poll below and share your story in the comments section.
A Fabia “Plus” or a Fabia Sedan soon?
Skoda is planning a new model to fit between the compact Fabia hatchback (Polo based) and the Octavia sedan (Jetta, Golf based). The new vehicle has been given a codename of A Entry for now and the focus would be to price it affordably – around US$13,650. The new model will be aimed at lower income customers looking for a larger family car than what a typical Fabia-class vehicle would offer.
I am guessing that would only mean a new small sedan based on the Fabia platform, perhaps with the wheelbase lengthened a little. As it is, Volkswagen makes a sedan version of the Polo for certain emerging markets and calls it the Polo Classic.
When the new Polo was announced, a report claimed that Volkswagen was planning a larger “Polo Plus” and a “Polo Sedan” for the US market, as the Polo was just too small a car for American tastes. The Polo Plus was to have a price tag of US$13,000 to US$15,000. Skoda’s version can be a more budget oriented version of this Polo Plus/Polo Sedan, if it is priced “around” US$13,000 as the mid price point.
Volkswagen has announced that its one-make Scirocco R Cup series will be joining the DTM touring car championship as a support series. This is the maiden season for the Scirocco R Cup, which consists of nine races over seven weekends on famous circuits such as the Nürburgring and UK’s Brands Hatch. The season kicks off at the Hockenheimring in April.
The grid will be made up of 30 racers including motorsport rookies and seasoned campaigners. Their machine will be a racing version of the recently-launched Scirocco R, powered by an innovative biogas engine that achieves an 80 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions compared with conventional engines. VW doesn’t quote any figures but says that the Scirocco R Cup is “the most eco-conscious one-make racing series in the world.”
The road going Scirocco R is powered by a boosted up version of VW’s 2.0-litre TSI engine, with 261 bhp and 350Nm of torque. Power goes to the front wheels via an XDS differential lock. Click here if you’ve forgotten how hot it looks!
