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2011 Mercedes CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG – official details

July 28, 2010 at 10:16 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Mercedes Benz

Many who shop in this segment opt for something more flashy, which is why the recently facelifted Mercedes CL-Class is a relatively rare sight. But this big, comfy coupe has a heart of a beast in AMG form. The CL63 AMG will feature a smaller but more powerful than before twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 producing 536 hp and 799 Nm of torque; the addition of the AMG performance package sees this figure increase to 563 hp and 899 Nm.

This is good enough to haul the big car from 0 to 96 km/h (60 mph) in just 4.4 seconds, on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. The AMG performance pack is faster by 0.1 sec and does a restricted top speed of 300 km/h. Using a smaller displacing engine as compared to the naturally aspirated 6,208cc V8, fuel efficiency has improved by a substantial 27%. Even performance cars are subject to downsizing now!

Want 12 cylinders? You’ve got to have the CL65 AMG then. The 6.0-litre V12 gets a 17 hp hike which gives you 621 hp and an equally seat bracing 999 Nm of torque. 0 to 96 figures are down to 4.2 seconds while restricted top speed is also at 300 km/h.

The gearbox used in the CL63 AMG will be the 7-speed SPEEDSHIFT MCT transmission with the option of Sports, Comfort and manual shift modes. Due to the higher power from the CL65’s V12, Mercedes has opted for a 5-speed SPEEDSHIFT transmission for the range topper.

These new engines are housed in a facelifted body similar to the non AMG CL-Class, but with an AMG body kit that includes a new front grille, revised bumpers, headlights, AMG exhaust system and 20-inch alloy wheels. Inside, updates include a new steering wheel, and different trim options. Direct-Steer, Torque Vectoring Brakes and Crosswind Stabilization systems are standard here.

Hi-res gallery after the jump.
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DuPont joins Lotus Racing as Official Technical Supplier

July 28, 2010 at 12:53 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Lotus, Motorsports


DuPont Refinish has joined Lotus Racing’s growing list of backers, jumping on board as an Official Technical Supplier to the Malaysian owned team with immediate effect. DuPont Refinish is the corporate aftermarket paint brand of DuPont, the American chemical giant that developed materials such as Nylon, Kevlar, Lycra, Teflon and Nomex, among other household names.

The agreement, signed at the German GP last weekend, sees the paint manufacturer provide full technical support to Lotus Racing. In return, DuPont Refinish’s liquid logo will appear on the team’s T127 race cars, transporter trucks, motorhome and garage.

The main criteria for paint in F1 are low weight, combined with optimum thickness, thermal stability, resistance to mechanical stresses such as stone chips and debris, and colour brilliance to ensure the cars look their best for our TV sets and live spectators.

The T127s and the trucks that transport them have all been painted in the famous green and yellow livery with the highly productive DuPont Refinish paint systems. The fast drying properties of the paint is well suited to the sport, where it is crucial to get the cars back on track as quickly as possible after body damage.

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BMW GranCoupe Concept to become 6-Series GranCoupe

July 27, 2010 at 7:34 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News, Rumours

There is obviously a market for the likes of the questionably designed Mercedes-benz CLS. Even Audi introduced the A7 recently and now comes news that BMW will follow suit with a proper four-door coupe (the 5 GT is more like a curvy hatchback).

According to German publications, management board member Klaus Draeger hinted at a recent event that the grand coupe concept will become a four door coupe and will go under the 6-Series badging and will feature design from the Concept Gran Coupe. The Concept Gran Coupe looks very much production ready and it’s likely that most of the design will be carried over, with some additions of course – the frameless doors will likely remain but it will probably get a B pillar.

This might also see the use of a hybrid engine in the new models along with the standard diesel and petrol engine and even an M-branded variant. The release date is a bit sketchy, but it could be seen in the market sometime in 2012.

Apart from that, the development of a 6-Series with a Shooting Brake bodytype has also been discussed. BMW are said to be evaluating the viability of such a model and are still unsure if they will be putting it into production.

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MINI Countryman WRC to join Super 2000 WRC race!

July 27, 2010 at 7:11 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

BMW’s MINI division will be joining the World Rally Championship’s Super 2000 category next year with a rally-going version of the MINI Countryman called the MINI Countryman WRC, rally-prepped by Prodrive.

The Countryman WRC will be powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport. Super 2000 specs allows for the use of 1,600cc turbocharged engines and four wheel drive as a complement to the 2,000cc normally aspirated engines such as the one found in the Satria Neo Super 2000.

“This is a very exciting new motorsport program. During the 1960s MINI captured the imagination of the world when the tiny car took on the might of V8 powered Fords and won what was then one of the toughest motorsport events, the 4000km Monte Carlo rally. I believe our new MINI will become a firm favourite of the latest generation of rally fans, just as it is adored by its millions of owners across the world,” said Prodrive chairman David Richards.

From BMW’s press release its seems that the Countryman WRC car will be available for customer orders as well and there have already been some bookings. BTW, who knows this new 1.6 litre turbo instead of 2.0 normally aspiration rule might spur Proton to switch its Neo S2000 from the current 2.0 litre Renault to a 1.6 litre Project Phoenix turbo ;)

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2011 Audi A7 Sportback – official details and gallery

July 27, 2010 at 4:53 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News

The Audi A7 Sportback has been officially launched. It is a big four-door coupe type of car with a hatch, like the Porsche Panamera. Audi says its latest car encapsulates the best of three worlds with the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.

An accurate rendition of the Audi Sportback Concept from the 2009 Detroit show, the A7 is a big car at 4.97m long and 1.91m wide, with a 2.91m wheelbase. It’s sits 4 cm lower than the A8 limo and the overall size is between the current generation A6 and the A8. Weight is reduced via the extensive use of aluminum and “high-tech steels”. A 2WD A7 weighs in at 1,695 kg, which makes it lighter than a Mercedes CLS. The Audi’s 535-litre boot can be upped to 1,390 litres by folding the rear seats.

There will be a choice of four direct-injection V6 engines: the 3.0 TFSI supercharged unit producing 300 hp/440 Nm, a 2.8 FSI engine with 204 hp/280 Nm and two versions of the 3.0 TDI engine; one with 245 hp/500 Nm and another with 204 hp and 400 Nm of torque. The latter boasts amazing fuel consumption of 5.3 L/100 km while only producing 139 g/km of CO2, and is the eco champion of the range.

The engines can be had with Multitronic CVT and FWD or the seven-speed S tronic (dual-clutch) with quattro AWD. The latest quattro system has a crown-gear center differential and torque vectoring. Brake recuperation and start-stop is standard across the range.

A “sporty character” is brought by a five-link front suspension and the track-controlled, trapezoidal link rear suspension. The chassis features aluminum control arms and a newly developed power steering system with an electromechanical drive for high efficiency. The Audi Drive Select system is standard and can be supplemented by optional adaptive air suspension or a sports suspension that sits 10 mm lower. The smallest wheels are 18-inch items, with 20ins being the largest.

Inside you find the usual luxuries from Audi which include fine leathers and Alcantara, aluminium and quality wood inlays, aluminium finish on rotary knobs, four-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel, touchpad controlled MMI system with a HDD based sat nav and 6.5-inch monitor, electromechanical parking brake, a new head-up display and optional climate-control/massage functions for the front seats. Like the A8 limo, the Audi A7 is a mobile WLAN hotspot. You can also have the Advanced Sound System from Bang & Olufsen featuring 1,300 watts of power and 15 speakers. Sounds like a nice place to be in!

Safety wise, standard kit includes Audi pre sense, adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, active lane assist, night vision assistant, speed limit display and park assist. The A7 Sportback is set to go on sale in Europe at the end of this year. A large hi-res gallery awaits you after the jump.
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SPYSHOT: Local spec Nissan Teana interior snapped!

July 27, 2010 at 2:53 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Nissan, Spyshots


Looks like it so happens to be Nissan spyshot day today! This is the first time we’re looking at the interior of those mildly disguised Nissan Teanas that have been going around the Klang Valley, thanks to reader Ezham. Our Teanas are specced with a light cream interior with brown wood trim, quite similar to what we can see in the Latio and the Sylphy. Look after the jump for the rest of the photos snapped at the Sungai Buloh overhead R&R yesterday. Thanks Ezham!
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Nissan X-Trail caught in the open, to be launched soon

July 27, 2010 at 11:04 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Nissan, Spyshots


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I was driving on the NKVE when I saw a car transporter ferrying Nissan cars. Thought nothing of it initially, but I took a second glance and realised that the two X-Trails on the bottom rung looked slightly different – they were indeed the second generation X-Trail and I duly whipped out my Nokia. Unlike the also soon to be launched Teana, there was no disguise attempt by Tan Chong for the X-Trail – maybe because it looks so similar to the outgoing model that they thought no one would have noticed!

Two X-Trails were on the move, one red and the other in grey. This isn’t the latest facelifted model recently launched in Japan but the pre-facelift car that’s assembled in Indonesia, also the source of X-Trails for Thailand. If you look closely at the tailgate, there’s a small half-blue badge on the right side, which I reckon says Xtronic CVT.


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Nissan’s slick CVT should be partnering the MR20DE 2.0-litre engine (also seen in the Sylphy) for the Malaysian market, a combo that’s also exported to Thailand. In Indonesia, the other engine option is a 2.5-litre four cylinder from the QR series, the same engine that powers our current X-Trail 2.5. Expect a 2WD version of the SUV without Nissan’s All Mode 4X4 system; shouldn’t be an issue for urban cowboys and families.

What else can we see from the pictures? Those decent looking five-spoke wheels are 16-inch items and the reverse lamps are mounted very low on the bumper. I’m guessing that most of the extra 175 mm in overall length over the old model is aft of the rear wheels, as that section looks a bit expanded – the new X-Trail’s 2,630 mm wheelbase is just 5 mm longer than before.

The launch is near and we will be driving the car soon, so watch this space!

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2011 Ford Explorer released for the American market

July 27, 2010 at 10:50 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Ford, International News

Ford has released the all-new Explorer SUV in the USA with a fuel efficient 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that produces 237 hp along with 339 Nm of torque. This gives you the power output similar to a V6 engine with the fuel efficiency of a four-pot setup.

Besides that, the 3.5-litre Ti-VCT V6 engine has been made more efficient and now produces 290 hp and 339 Nm of torque. Fuel efficiency is 20% better than the outgoing V6 model and it’s mated to a six-speed auto gearbox. Front wheel drive is standard but a 4WD system with hill descent control is optional.

The new Explorer is being marketed as a fuel-efficient SUV. Thus it also features goodies such as a variable displacement air-conditioning compressor, transmission that has optimised gearing ratios, slippery aerodynamics, electric power assisted steering and the use of an aluminium hood that brings down total weight by 45 kg.

The seven-seater also sees the use of safety systems such as a unique inflatable seatbelt in addition to the regular front, side and curtain airbags, front passenger sensing system, specialised pretensioners for first row seat belts, SOS Post-Crash Alert system and a system for safely securing child seats.

All that is good, but likely to be the Explorer’s most prominent feature is the modern, muscular exterior, which features a prominent grille, black A-pillars, plastic body panels and a flat hood. This is complemented with an interior that features a 4.2-inch LCD screen, air filtration system and cruise control. The Explorer will hit Ford’s US dealerships at the end of this year. Enjoy the high-res gallery after the jump.
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BMW and Daimler decide to share seat frames

July 26, 2010 at 11:59 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News, Mercedes Benz

BMW and Daimler have worked closely in the past in regards to jointly developing hybrid transmissions, and they were once in talks to jointly develop next generation compact front wheel drive platforms. The platform talks fell through of course, as the companies felt that sharing a platform would not allow for much differentiation between the BMW and Mercedes-Benz that used them.

But here’s something new that the two companies have decided could be mutually beneficial without hurting marketing – seat frames! The latest news is that BMW and Daimler will jointly develop and purchase metal seat frames for some models, while leaving the exterior finish to be done independently, allowing sufficient differentiation while saving a little on costs.

According to German publication Spiegel, the two companies will invest a certain double-digit million Euro amount in the dev-share project, which is estimated to yield up to 200 million Euro a year in savings. Smart move!

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2012 Olympics debut for BMW Megacity Vehicle?

July 26, 2010 at 3:30 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News


BMW’s eagerly anticipated Megacity Vehicle might have a bigger launch audience than originally expected. According to industry sources close to the project, BMW will use the 2012 Olympics in London to showcase the Megacity car.

The model in question will be a production ready Megacity concept car which will be previewed a year before it actually goes on sale. This of course, is due to the fact that BMW is the official partner for the 2012 games, thus showcasing their wares is just one of the perks of the agreement.

Coverage from the Olympics will no doubt set BMW ahead of the competition as this would be a major opportunity for them to present their electric car idea to a global audience. The Megacity is a four seat, rear wheel drive car that has a 100 kW motor. It is said to have a range of 160 to 209 kilometres. The car will have a carbon fibre cell to counteract the weight of the batteries and will be sold under a sub-brand similar to ‘M’ for performance BMWs.

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