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Xenatec previews “semi-official” Maybach 57 S Coupe

May 21, 2010 at 1:51 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Maybach


German based engineering specialist Xenatec has previewed a limited production Maybach Coupe. This project will have some connection with the Daimler Group but will be built by Xenatec in Heilbronn, Germany.

The Maybach 57 S chassis will be provided by Daimler and the coupe will house four seats. To make it a two-door, modifications to the A, B and C pillars, doors, fenders, front and rear section are needed. Compared to the limo, the coupe’s B pillar will be moved 20 inches rearwards for easier access to the back seats. The car’s width has been increased by about 20 cm to fit extended wheel arches. Other changes seen are the new front and rear apron, tail lights and exhaust pipes.

The coupe will be powered by a twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 engine as in the Maybach 57 S. With 612 bhp and 999 Nm of torque, this giant coupe should breach 100 km/h in just 5.0 seconds on to a top speed of 275 km/h.

Xenatec is said to be considering a sportier version of this car if there’s demand for it. The car will be sold in Asia, Middle East, US and Russia and it will come with a 4-year warranty that will be honoured by Maybach authorised dealers. Only 100 will be produced and prices are expected to start from 650,000 euros.

Picture gallery after the jump.
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FIA pushing for 107% qualifying rule, new teams to speed up or risk exclusion from race

May 21, 2010 at 1:30 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

FIA President Jean Todt has expressed intention to push for the 107% qualifying rule in Formula 1. This would mean that cars that aren’t within 107% of the pole time will be excluded from the race. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said that he will back the decision to reapply the rule.

As it stands, if FIA wants an immediate rule change they would have to get a 100% agreement from all the teams competing this season, which is highly unlikely as the rookies will oppose. But if they wait till the 2011 season, only 70% agreeable teams are required.

Ecclestone was quoted by a French publication as saying: “We will introduce the rule, next year and not this year.” The same report also said Bernie is aiming for an even tighter 105% rule for the 2011 season.

Put into perspective, 107% of Sebastien Vettel’s Bahrain pole time is about 8 seconds, which would mean that none of the HRT drivers would have raced. If it was 105%, all three new teams including best of the lot Lotus would struggle to qualify. This move, if implemented, will force rookie teams to speed up or risk being left out.

Source

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Proton Gen2 updated: Campro CPS for M-Line too!

May 20, 2010 at 10:08 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton

Proton has given its Gen2 a refresh, with mild exterior tweaks and some changes to trim and price. Proton’s press release points out that the front grille, alloy rims, and door handles have seen some work (the items certainly look familiar, just a new colour perhaps?). The roof is now finished in black.

Inside, the five-door hatch comes with leather seats, steering wheel audio switches, “door trim finishing” and a multipurpose container. Some of you eagle eyes out there might want to help us to spot the difference between old and new.

Available in High-Line (manual & auto) and Medium-Line variants (auto only), the High-Line prices are unchanged, while the M-Line is better value than before. For the latter, while the list price has dropped by RM1,500, it gets the 125 bhp Campro CPS engine in place of the 110 bhp Campro IAFM. All the new enhancements are here except for the leather seats, steering wheel switches, fog lights and bodykit. Two colours – Solid White and Fire Red – are available for both trim lines.

Available in Proton showrooms from 22nd May 2010 (this Saturday) onwards, Proton targets to sell a modest 300 units of this car per month. Launched way back in February 2004, this should be the Gen2′s final flourish, unless of course Proton decides to give it one last push with something force inducted under the engine hood :)

  • Proton Gen2 High-Line AT – RM 60,488
  • Proton Gen2 High-Line MT – RM 57,488
  • Proton Gen2 Medium-Line AT – RM 54,988

UPDATE: Live image gallery of the Gen2 added. Click here to view it.
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Peugeot introduces 308 GTi with 200 THP engine

May 20, 2010 at 10:07 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Peugeot


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Peugeot has released information on the range topping 308 GTi, which sits above the GT in the 308 range. To earn that status, it naturally comes with more power and torque than the 175 bhp/240 Nm GT, which is sold here in Malaysia at RM160K. The GTi gets the 200 THP engine that also goes into the RCZ 2+2 Coupe. It’s a 1.6-engine with twin-scroll turbo and direct injection that makes 200 bhp and 275 Nm of torque from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm.

Like the GT, the GTi comes with a six-speed manual ‘box, enabling it to do the benchmark 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.7 seconds, which is fast, but not as fast as the similarly badged VW Golf. What’s really impressive is the fuel consumption, which is rated at 14.5 km/l in the combined cycle. The 200 THP engine is built with Sound System technology, which delivers different harmonics according to vehicle acceleration. This is from a vibrating membrane controlled and amplified by an acoustic duct – quiet when it’s supposed to be, louder when you’re pressing on.

Peugeot-308_GTi_rear
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Chassis wise, the GTi’s front suspension gets joints with larger diameter bearings derived from platform 3 (C/D segment) and specific damper settings with particular attention paid to the uprated front units (22 mm damper rods compared to 20 mm). The GTi rides on 18-inch alloys (same design as GT) with 225/40 tyres.

Only available as a five-door, the super subtle GTi is differentiated from lower powered siblings by a black carbon-style insert under the front bumper, a lower front panel derived from the 308 CC, a rear diffuser bumper with twin pipes (GT strangely had no visible tail pipes) and a slightly louder rear spoiler. And of course, GTi badging.


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Inside, sporty features include an aluminium foot rest and gear knob, leather steering wheel with slightly flattened lower edge and piano black fascia. All these are present in the RCZ, as is a more modern and integrated layout for the stereo system.

UPDATE: Hi res gallery added after the jump.
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BMW confirms 5-Series Hybrid, available by 2011

May 20, 2010 at 6:31 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

BMW already has hybrid versions of the X6 and 7-Series, and BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer confirms that the next car to join the list is the F10 5-Series, Production and sales of the hybrid 5er will begin in 2011, and a hybrid 3-Series will come next.

“As early as next year, the new BMW 5-Series will also be available as a full hybrid,” Reithofer said at the automaker’s 90th Annual General Meeting of stakeholders. “We are anticipating the hybridization of further models series, such as the 3-Series. We also work with modules in this field, choosing the most suitable hybrid solution for the respective model,” he added.

BMW previewed the BMW Concept 5-Series ActiveHybrid at the 2010 Geneva show. This particular model houses a 300 bhp 6-cylinder engine with TwinPower turbo technology coupled with a 40kW (54 bhp) electric motor. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Though not very substantial, there’s is a 10% decrease in fuel consumption and emissions. Click here for a gallery and video of the Concept 5-Series ActiveHybrid.

Reithofer stated that it is in BMW’s master plan to reduce its global fleets carbon emissions by at least another 25% between 2008 and 2020.

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Magneti Marelli wants auto start/stop made standard

May 20, 2010 at 3:33 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Technology

VIDEO: BMW EfficientDynamics Auto Start/Stop System

More and more cars getting put onto our roads every year, and I’m not just talking about Kuala Lumpur where the jams while bad aren’t as insane as the gridlocks you get in some larger cities around the world. With so much time being spent in traffic jams not moving, fuel burned while idling in the jam is doing nothing but powering your air conditioning, lights and perhaps your radio, which is a little overkill and definitely a waste of fuel.

Magneti Marelli CEO Eugenio Razelli thinks that this wastage of fuel should seriously stop and we tend to agree. According to him, automatic start/stop systems should become mandatory equipment on all cars, much like catalytic converters have become a long time ago. According to him, substantial fuel savings can be achieved through the use of auto start/stop systems at a relatively low cost. We did some googling and found that replacing the starter with one capable of auto start/stop can add only about US$300 (RM960) to US$400 (RM1,285) to a car’s material cost but can save between 5% to 15% of fuel depending on conditions.

But then again it’s expected for him to say this considering Magneti Marelli develops and sells auto components such as auto start/stop systems and if first world countries with huge annual auto sales start to make auto start/stop systems mandatory, it would be a huge boost to all auto component suppliers which sell such systems, including Magneti Marelli. Valeo and Bosch are other example manufacturer of auto start/stop systems. Razelli is not alone with his idea though – car manufacturers such as PSA Peugeot Citroen have announced that it plans to make auto start/stop systems standard for all of their cars sold in the European market.

Cars with auto start/stop systems are sometimes called “micro hybrids” but they still run on conventional fuel – there is no other propulsion method. Auto start/stop systems was first introduced with manual transmissions but there are a few manufacturers who have managed to integrate the system with their automatic transmission cars as well.

The system has also been refined over time and auto start/stop systems can be considered to be in a sort of ‘second generation’ right now. At first the starting and stopping of the engine made use of a specialized quick starter, but now the restarting of the engine has been refined to the point that the system knows exactly which piston is in the best position to be used to restart the engine, further refining the smoothness and quickness of the restart process. Earlier auto start/stop systems also couldn’t run the air conditioning system when the engine is switched off but now on cars with auto start/stop, the air conditioning system is modified to run on electricity instead of off the engine’s belt.

Systems such as Mazda’s Smart Idle Stop System doesn’t even use a specialised starter, instead it restarts the engine by injecting fuel via direct injection into the cylinder and igniting it to force the piston down instead of using a conventional starter.

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Volkswagen may buy over Italdesign Giugiaro?

May 20, 2010 at 1:55 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Volkswagen

Volkswagen LogoVW has almost 10 car brands under its wings and is planning to introduce a further 60 models (including multiple variants and facelifts) this year alone. Volkswagen is slowly building up its repertoire of technical knowledge and car brands in its bid to become the largest automaker by the year 2018. This in turn should reflect a sales figure of 10 million units a year. Thus to achieve that goal VW has to assimilate skills from already established companies.

It may be doing just that as according to Automotive News Europe, two confirmed sources have concurred on the rumour that Volkswagen will be buying a controlling stake in Italy’s largest design and engineering firm, Italdesign Giugiaro. Yes, this is the same ItalDesign Giugiaro that is working with Proton on the next generation Proton Persona replacement as well as the Proton EMAS range extender electric vehicle.

Funny how things work out the way they are – Proton was first in talks on working with Volkswagen, then they ended up working with Giugiaro, but now Volkswagen is rumoured to be buying over Giugiaro. This is supposed to be impending news so you can expect an announcement as early as next week if it really happens. Both Italdesign and VW have refused to comment on the matter.

Italdesign was co-founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968 and is owned by him while his son Fabrizio is the design and model head. The company has 975 employees and 800 computer aided design workstations in its Moncalieri head quarters. The company known for its world class design, have been involved with the design of cars such as the Alfa Romeo 159, the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe, the Fiat Grande Punto , the Suzuki SX4 and of course the new Proton Persona replacement and the concept Proton EMAS.

As the company doesn’t disclose its figures (it is a private company) there are no official stats on how well the company does. The latest data, which was from 2008, stated that the company’s revenues increased by 6.2 percent to 136 million Euros which broke even.

The Italian firm’s design work is a selling point for most car manufactures and is always advertised by their respective client. Engineering tasks have often been kept confidential and the only credit they were allowed to take was for the second-generation R56 Mini hatchback as well as its convertible and Clubman wagon counterparts.

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X6 M by Schnitzer – the ultimate cure for lack of attention

May 20, 2010 at 1:50 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

Famous BMW tuner AC Schnitzer has toyed around with the BMW X6 M. Simply called the X6 M by Schnitzer, the Aachen-based company is currently working on a performance upgrade which, in combination with delimiting the 250 km/h top speed and a sports exhaust, “will bring a further perceptible increase in the power of the X6 M”.

If you’re already contented with the giant BMW’s performance, AC offers carbon fibre engine styling, front spoiler, rear roof spoiler, rear wing, rear diffuser and design elements for the front skirt and chromed front grille. Optional bonnet vents with chromed centre webs are also available. The X6′s bonnet top made from carbon fibre with a plexiglas “panoramic window” so people can gawk at your engine. “Sports Trim” tailpipes complete the changes.

The standard X6 M is already 1.98 metres wide but Falcon wheel arches add an extra 40 mm on each side. You will have an option of 20, 22 or 23-inch rims to match them. Forged alloys are also available. Inside, the instrument panel conversion – 360 km/h speedo and rev counter with AC logos, white dials, red pointers and red lighting – is the highlight. The carbon trim and the AC Schnitzer steering wheel spokes in new “black Exclusiv” design and the silver bits are all in aluminium.

Gallery after the jump.
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GALLERY: All-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee looks good

May 20, 2010 at 12:46 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Jeep

Tomorrow is the launch of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Chrysler Group has released images that show a very handsome SUV doing macho things like fording streams and climbing hills.

I’m not sure if you agree, but I reckon that this Jeep is one of the best looking 4X4s of late – bold, tough looking and with none of those “crossover” designs going on.

Capability highlights include a choice of three 4×4 systems, new Jeep Quadra-Lift Air Suspension and Selec-Terrain and towing capability of 3,356 kg. On-road dynamics are improved courtesy of new independent front and rear suspension systems and a new body structure that substantially increases torsional stiffness.

The new Grand Cherokee also features Chrysler’s all-new 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine which boasts 11% better fuel economy and delivers more than 800 km on one full tank. Read more on the Pentastar here.

Hi-res gallery after the jump.
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GM India launches Chevrolet Aveo CNG – 200 km per tank

May 20, 2010 at 11:58 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

The current Chevrolet Aveo is very long in the tooth by now, and I’d be surprised to see in in the new Malaysian Chevy lineup under Naza – didn’t cut it then, no chance it’ll do so now. A new model will come soon, but GM has found some ways to clear stock – sell it as a compressed natural gas (CNG) car in India.

Actually, the Aveo is not a big seller in India, but it may stand some chance in this form. The Aveo CNG is a bi-fuel vehicle (with a full sized petrol tank) billed as one of the most eco friendly cars available there. The factory fitted computer-controlled CNG injection system from Italy includes the injectors, selector switch and modified wiring.

Sequential injection is the most advanced level of CNG tech. An ECU calculates the opening times of the injectors for each cylinder and acts separately on each gas injector with high precision. The Aveo’s 1.4-litre VGIS petrol engine is CNG compatible thanks to hardened valve seats and anodized pistons. In addition, the B-segment car’s suspension has been reinforced to support the additional mass of the CNG cylinder in the boot.

Priced at 6.26 lakh rupees (ex-showroom Delhi, about US$13,600), the Aveo CNG is claimed to have running costs that are 54% percent lower than the petrol version and 25% lower than a diesel. Under “normal driving conditions” the Aveo CNG has a range of 180 to 200 km on a full tank of gas.

When fuel prices spiked in 2008, there were lots of talk on fitting cars with NGV kits. Naturally, the enthusiasm has subsided along with the fuel prices. Any NGV user here to share your experience and consumption?

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