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GALLERY: Ferrari 458 Challenge action shots on track

August 5, 2010 at 10:41 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, International News, Motorsports

We’ve previously only seen one static shot, but Ferrari has now released pictures of the 458 Challenge in action as the race car was taken out on the Vallelunga race track in Italy. This was so that the two drivers testing the car – Maurizio Mediani (Italy) and Jaime Melo (Argentina) – can help in the fine tuning of the vehicle.

The race car will use the standard road car’s 4.5-litre V8 with 570 hp/540 Nm, while stripping the rest of the car down to the essentials and adding a race suspension setup. 19-inch Pirelli slicks and new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes have also been added. The 458 will take part in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli that will branch out an Asia-Pacific series in 2011. Click here for more details on Maranello’s latest race car.

Pics after the jump.
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Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Balboni by Anderson

August 5, 2010 at 10:31 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Balboni is a special edition released by the Italian brand to celebrate test driver Valentino Balboni’s retirement after 40 years of service to the company. He has helped with the fine-tuning of cars such as the Miura, Gallardo and Murcielago. In stock form, the Balboni comes with a 542 hp 5.2-litre V10 engine that channels its power through the rear wheels.

German tuning firm Anderson (unrelated to the Man Utd player), has released a new tuning package for the Balboni. Not wanting to change a great car, they have concentrated largely on the looks along with minimal performance revisions. Why would anyone want to alter the looks of a 250-unit limited edition Lambo is anyone’s guess.

The V10 has been tuned up to produce an extra 39 hp, bringing total output to 582 hp along with an unspecified torque increase. Exterior changes include the tint of the tail lamps and the panes and three-tone rims with black, white and gold lacquering. The wheels measures in at 8.5 x 20 inch in front and 11.5 x 20 inches at the rear enveloped in high performance tyres.

The exhaust system can be adjusted with a remote controlled three-step valve control system, so you don’t have to wake the whole street up on the way home from the clubs. The interior is shod in logo emblazoned quilted leather seats with gold stitching along with quilted patterns on the door trims.

Gallery after the jump.
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Porsche Cayenne Diesel gets significant performance upgrade from Lumma Design

August 5, 2010 at 10:02 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche

Lumma Design has come up with accessories and performance upgrades for the new Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Lumma added a D-Box to the 3.0-litre V6 oil burner, which increases power from the standard 240 hp to 276 hp. Maximum torque jumps from 550 Nm to 630 Nm – all substantial gains. The tuner says that the increased torque can contribute to fuel savings as engine is more efficient at low speeds.

The new Cayenne’s exterior has not been changed by much apart from headlight masks, new light alloys (choose from 22-inch sports wheels or 23-inch two-tone mono wheels with moulded spokes) and twin exhaust deflectors made from burnished chrome plated stainless steel that complements the quad 90 mm tail pipes.

The interior sees the use of matte aluminium sill plates, aluminium/rubber pedals, and floor mats with leather edging. There is also the option of an optics engine package consisting of red covers and a metal crest that features prominently in the engine bay.

The second-generation Cayenne has been launched in Malaysia by Sime Darby Auto Performance, and the range includes the RM560,000 Diesel and RM720,000 Cayenne S Hybrid for the first time. The join the V6 engined base model (RM550K, which makes the diesel look very good value), RM680K Cayenne S and the range topping Cayenne Turbo, which is yours for RM940K. We’ve driven the new Cayenne already – click here for the report and gallery.

More pics after the jump.
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Proton R3 Rally Team fail to convert pace into win at the Rally of Queensland – fastest 15 out of 18 stages!

August 4, 2010 at 4:39 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Motorsports, Proton, Proton Satria Neo

The Proton R3 Malaysia Rally Team did well at the recent International Rally of Queensland by winning almost every stage in the rally.

Unfortunately due to technical difficulties, drivers Chris Atkinson and Alister McRae did not finish the event held in the forests of the Sunshine Coast. The Rally of Queensland is part of the 2010 FIA-Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

The rate at which the two were going, they would have surely been on the podium at the very least. The R3 team won 15 out of 18 stages of the entire rally, with Atkinson winning 11 of those. The joy was cut short when Atkinson’s car stalled in a creek crossing whereas McRae retired due to damage sustained to his Neo after going over a large rock on the second stage of the final day.

“Between Alister and me, we were the fastest and won a lot of stages and this shows how good the Proton Satria Neo is. Unfortunately, the water splash stopped us yesterday but we will be back for the next rally ready to win,” said Atkinson. The next APRC round for Proton R3 is the Indonesian Rally on 25-26 September in Makassar.

India’s Guarav Gill in his Mitsubishi won the Rally of Queensland, crossing the line in one minute and 16 seconds, ahead of Australian brothers Glen and Matt Raymond. The second Mitsubishi driver Katsuhiko Taguchi from Japan, came in third.

The Proton R3 Team is second in the APRC’s Manufacturers Championship with 60 points, trailing behind Mitsubishi with 152 points. Subaru is third with 34 points. Taguchi is top of the drivers’ standings with 100 points, followed by Guarav Gill and Alister McRae with 97 and 41 points respectively.

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BMW 120i Coupe Performance Unlimited for Japan market

August 4, 2010 at 11:13 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

BMW has unveiled a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) special of the compact 120i Coupe Performance Unlimited which will have a limited run of 30 units. The package gives prospective customers the addition of the standard M-Sport package along with extra accessories.

Munich’s smallest coupe comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 170 hp and 210 Nm of torque mated to a six speed automatic gearbox. On the outside, the car gets a blacked-out grille, carbon fiber mirror caps, carbon fibre boot lid spoiler and 18-inch alloy wheels, complemented by the standard M-Sport bumpers.

Inside you will find the regular M-Sport trim, seats and steering wheel along with the addition of an aluminium pedal set, leather gear knob and handbrake lever. The car is exclusively available in white or Le Mans Blue.

In Malaysia, the only 1-Series Coupe variant available is the 135i, which is powered by a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine with 306 bhp and 400 Nm. This pocket rocket, which we tested back in 2007, does 0-100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds on to a capped 250 km/h top speed.

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Schumi apologises to Barrichello over dangerous move

August 4, 2010 at 10:17 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Mercedes Benz, Motorsports

After receiving a ten-place grid penalty for the Belgian GP for his dangerous move on Rubens Barrichello at last weekend’s Hungarian GP, Michael Schumacher has apologised to the Brazilian. “Apologise” and “Schumi” rarely coexist in one sentence, but this was a much mocked move that did little for the seven-time champion’s “super kiasu” reputation.

“Yesterday, right after the race I was still in the heat of the action, but after I watched the incident with Rubens again, I must say that the stewards were right with their assessment: the move against him was too hard,” Schumacher wrote on his website.

“I wanted to make it hard for him to pass me. I clearly showed him that I didn’t want to let him pass but… I wasn’t seeking to endanger him with my move. If he feels I was then I’m sorry, this wasn’t my intention,” he added.

His tone wasn’t so conciliatory after the race. Former F1 driver Derek Warwick, who joined the stewards’ panel for the Hungaroring race said: “We interviewed Rubens and Michael and it was kind of disappointing how Michael handled it, and we had no option but to give him a 10-place penalty.”

He was also nearly black flagged if not for the lack of time. “Throwing a black flag would have shown a better example to our young drivers. But by the time we got the video evidence we ran out of time and we had to do it retrospectively,” Warwick told BBC.

If you missed it, the Mercedes GP driver was being tailed by a much faster Barrichello, and when Rubens dived to his right to pass, Schumi then closed the door to squeeze his ex-teammate against the pitwall on the main straight. Fortunately for the Williams driver, the wall (which was just inches from his car) ended at the right place and he made it through.

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Saab announces EV test fleet plans, next 9-3 to be mule

August 4, 2010 at 9:38 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Saab

Saab has announced plans to roll out a test fleet of electric vehicles within the first quarter of 2011. The Trollhattan based company will use global locations for the test fleet including home country Sweden. Housing the EV tech that’s being researched will be the next generation 9-3.

Saab’s EV test fleet will be launched in partnership with Boston-Power and Electroengine. Boston Power is a Massachusetts-based company that manufactures lithium ion batteries while Electroengine is a Swedish firm that modifies conventional combustion engine vehicles into high performance electric vehicles.

“The main purpose is to draw technology from this test fleet, technology that we can then incorporate quickly. The key target short-term is to drive fuel consumption down. You can electrify certain portions of the vehicle,” said Jan Ake Jonsson, CEO of Saab Automobile AB.

Victor Muller who is the chairman of Saab and CEO of Spyker Cars also touched on the impending Saab 92 small car, calling it “the missing link” and confirming that they have almost everything in place, including the design and specifications. “The only missing link is making the contract with a potential partner and how we are going to fund it. It’s currently not in our business plan, but it has a compelling business case,” he said.

There are speculations that Saab’s small car will use BMW’s MINI platform and drivetrains.

Source

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Volvo Cars now officially owned by Chinese Geely!

August 3, 2010 at 7:51 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, China, Geely, International News, Volvo

It’s official – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited (or Geely as its known to you and me) has completed its acquisition of the Volvo Car Corporation from Ford Motor Company. This has been done to a tune of a US$1.8 billion amount which was originally agreed upon in March 2010.

This purchase price was made out of a US$200 million note with a cash balance subject to customary purchase price adjustments at the close of the sale. Geely have now paid off the note and US$1.3 billion in cash to complete the sale. Final balance figures are expected to be finalized later this year.

On the matter of technology and manufacturing, Ford will continue to supply Volvo with powertrains, stampings and other vehicle components at differing periods. This also includes engineering support, information technology, access to tooling for common components, and other selected services for a transition period. In terms of intellectual property, agreements are currently being made to govern the use of Volvo’s intellectual property by Ford.

Former Volkswagen Chief Executive of America Stefan Jacoby, has been appointed the new President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars. They will also retain their headquarters and manufacturing presence in Sweden and Belgium while the management will be allowed independence to execute its own business plans with direction from its new board.

An exciting step for both companies, that will no doubt see the rise of Geely as a global market player and the influx of Chinese investment into one of the top Swedish auto brands.

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World’s first dedicated BMW M showroom in Singapore

August 3, 2010 at 7:49 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

The next time you pop down to Singapore for a visit, you might just want to revise your itinerary to include the world’s first BMW M show room, so you will be able to feast your eyes on current M models. You won’t find regular BMWs here, this showroom is for cars with chassis numbers that start with ‘WBS’ only!

Munich Automobiles’ new showroom is located at Teban Gardens Crescent and houses models such as the M3, M6, X5 M and X6 M. Due to the fact that the E60 M5 has ended production it won’t be on show, but you can expect the upcoming F10 M5 and 1-Series M Coupe to be showcased once they’re introduced to the market.

Visitors will be treated to an interactive sound wall where they can sample different sounds of the M-engines, while historical information of the M-Brands history is also on display on a heritage wall.

Munich Automobiles, jointly owned by Prestige Cars and Malaysia’s Sime Darby, also plans to put a classic M model in their showrooms for the public to enjoy. The showroom will be open to the public on the 2nd of August. Opening times are 8am to 7pm from Mondays till Saturdays, while Sundays and public holidays opening times are between 9am and 6pm.

High-res pictures of the launch are available after the jump.
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‘Supra’ trademark renewed – new Toyota Supra on the way?

August 3, 2010 at 7:45 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

There are hints of the possible production of a new Toyota Supra as Toyota have recently filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office for that model name on the 16th of July 2010. The trademark previously expired in 2006 and will you believe it – the company hasn’t done anything till recently.

Adding to that, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda told journalists in Japan, four days before, that he wants “to see the next Supra tested in the near future” but later went on to say “even if one president [Toyoda himself] says that we want to have a Supra again, the whole company is not going to be responding to that request.”

According to certain sources, the trademark system is designed around its use and a company is said to have three years to use the name until it’s considered abandoned. As we already know, Toyota hasn’t given the FT86 concept its official name, thus there is an already available model to take on the legendary moniker, although the new FR-86 seems more like a new Toyota Celica than a fire-breathing twin-turbocharged Supra.

Only time will tell but if Mr Toyoda’s words are anything to go on, we could see a Supra very soon, if the board decides it is financially viable.

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