Details of the revival of the Fiat 500 has been officially released by Fiat Automobiles SpA. The new Fiat 500 is 355cm long, 165 cm wide, 149 cm tall and has a wheelbase of 230 cm. Despite rumours of a two-cylinder turbocharged engine, we now know that the Fiat 500 will be conventionally powered by Fiat’s 69hp 1.2 liter 8 valve petrol and 100hp 1.4 liter 16 valve petrol engine, as well as a 75hp 1.3 liter 16 valve MultiJet turbodiesel.

More photos and videos after the jump.

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How many of you go to motorshows not for the cars, but for the scantically clad ladies standing around the cars? I know that sometimes the intention can be split 50:50 between the two. If so, and you happen to be a Korean, or someone heading for the 2007 Seoul Motor Show in South Korea, you’re going to be in for a disappointment.

Hyundai and Kia wants to cut down on the number of models at the show, as well as switch to more modest dressing, hoping the attention will be focused more on the cars on display instead. “We would rather have the spectators’ attention on our cars than the attractive ladies,” said Jake Jang, a spokesperson for Hyundai Motor Company.

Renault Samsung Motors has already made a similiar move at last year’s motor show, where it’s usual skimpy models were given business suits and handheld computers to help them answer questions.

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Oriental-Hyundai Sdn Bhd and Hyundai Motor Company signed a Technical License Assistance Agreement last Monday for the local assembly of the new generation Hyundai Accent MC. The Hyundai Accent MC will be assembled at Oriental Assembler’s plant. The new Hyundai Accent MC will succeed the current Hyundai Accent LC available in sedan and hatch form that has been so popular with the Malaysian car buyers since it’s introduction, thanks to it’s Proton-rivalling price.

The new Hyundai Accent MC is expected to be a popular choice with the Malaysian buyers if it maintains a similiar price bracket to the Accent LC. It doesn’t look too bad at all, and has a pretty nice interior very similiar to the Kia Rio’s. It was first introduced at the 2005 New York International Auto Show, and is the first Accent available with a CVVT variable valve timing engine.

It is also marketed in Mexico as a Dodge, with two engine options - a 1.4 liter (96hp at 6,000rpm, 124Nm torque at 4,700rpm) and a 1.6 liter (110hp @ 6,000rpm, 143Nm torque at 4,500rpm). The US market Accent has a 1.6 liter CVVT with 112ps at 6,000rpm and 146Nm of torque at 4,500rpm.

Looking at the product planning choices of most B-segment cars in Malaysia, we will likely get the 1.4 liter model (Kia Rio 1.4, Naza Bestari 1.4, Inokom Getz 1.4), but then again nothing wrong with crossing our fingers for the 1.6 liter or the 1.6 liter CVVT.

More photos after the jump.

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Check out this amazing demonstration of driving ability in one of the lightest, most basic yet one of the funnest road-legals cars around.

Video after jump.

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Infiniti has updated their G Coupe with a new engine. Some might recognise this car as the Nissan Skyline V35, which carries the legend’s moniker but hardly any of it’s spirit. For one, the potent RB blown inline-6 is gone. Nevertheless, let’s have a look at Infiniti’s new luxury sports coupe.

The new Infiniti G37 is the world’s first application of Nissan/Infiniti’s new VQ37VHR engine, basically a stroked VQ35 with a new head and intake design as well as a higher compression ratio. It now makes 330 horsepower and 366Nm of torque, yet is expected to consume less fuel than the VQ35 on EPA’s fuel economy ratings. Why is that so?

Nissan has equipped with VQ37VHR with a variable valve timing and lift system called VVEL, or Variable Valve Event and Lift. It works similiar to technologies like BMW’s Valvetronic and Honda’s SOHC i-VTEC. VVEL removes the need for a throttle butterfly, improving the torque curve and fuel consumption at both the top and low ranges of the rev range. Nissan says VVEL has 32% quicker response, is 20% smaller and uses 52% less parts than BMW’s Valvetronic.

In the Infiniti G37, the VQ37VHR is mated either to a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic, and will have a limited slip differential. The Infiniti G37 also has four wheel steering. Wheels are massive 18 inch units that hide the largest rotors in the segment behind it’s multi-spoke: 14 inch discs at the front and 13.8 inch discs at the rear, with four piston and two piston calipers respectively.

A convertible version of the G37 is also rumoured to be coming in 2008. More photos after the jump.

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Another photoshop by contributor Theophilus Chin. He’s whipped up a 5-door hatchback version of the Satria Neo called the Satria Neo5, inspired by manufacturers like Chevrolet and Kia who add the 5 suffix to their hatchback cars. I think the way the rear door extends onto the wheel arch is abit weird, but looks okay overall. I wonder if the Golf Mk5 could somehow have Satria Neo inspired body panels slapped onto it and end up looking like this. Click the image above to view an enlarged version.

Terengganu’s State Road and Transport Department director Fauzi Harun revealed that the number plate TAN1 was sold for a staggering RM200,000 last year, making it the highest paid number plate in Malaysia so far. Tan is a very common surname among the Terengganu Chinese-Hokkien.

I am a Tan as well, and my hometown is a little town in Terengganu. It’s obvious the wealthy Tan that managed to clinch this number plate wants to be the best of all Tans, number one! To celebrate getting the TAN1 number plate, he should go TANI. Okay, that was lame. But it’s amazing how much money someone will pay for what’s basically a number to identify your car.

On a side note, there is a positive UK review of the Satria Neo here.

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As luxurious and exclusive as Maybach is, it seems the buyers are not swayed by the other superluxury brands like Bentley and Rolls Royce, with trade estimates putting 2006 production at a paltry 280 units.

The Maybach 57 and 62 is estimated to sell 175 units a year by the year 2010, greatly overshadowed by Rolls Royce’s 3,000 cars and Bentley’s 10,000 cars.

DaimlerChrysler is going back to the engineering drawing boards with the Maybach brand, with possible new models including a Mercedes Ocean Drive Concept-like convertible Maybach as well as a Maybach SUV based on the Mercedes Benz GL (shown above). The Maybach GL SUV would be sold only in the US, and would be limited to a run of 1,500 units in total.

A Maybach based on the Mercedes Benz CLS is also being conceptualized, which would give Maybach it’s much needed mid-sized model.

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Audi has three more completely new cars to add to it’s model range, in an effect to double it’s model line-up by 2015. Currently Audi has 22 cars in it’s line-up, and another 18 are in conceptual stages. I think by model, multiple engine variants of a single model are counted as multiple models.

The three more cars are two SUV models, a mid-sized Audi Q5 and another smaller Audi SUV which might be called the Q3, as well as a 4-door coupe ala CLS-style that might be called the Audi A7. The Q3 could be basically an Audi A3 with soft-roader looks and mild offroading capabilities.

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Related Posts:
2009 Audi A7 Coupe - New CLS contender
2008 Audi Q5 to be built in Ingolstadt
Audi Q3 and Q5 artist impressions
Audi goes SUV-crazy with possible Audi Q3

This is purported to be the purest and sportiest Lamborghini Gallardo ever. Lamborghini’s Gallardo Superleggera was presented at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. It features an extra 10hp of power, which is not much, however the supercar sheds 100kg of weight, giving it a weight to power ratio of 2.5kg/hp, making it one of the top lightweights in its class.

Powered by a 5.0 liter V10 making 530hp at 8,000rpm, acceleration time from 0 to 100km/h takes only 3.8 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the normal Gallardo. Shifting is via a robotized e-gear gearbox, with paddle shifts on the steering wheel.

The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera weighs 1,330kg, thanks to usage of advanced materials and technologies. The engine hood is made of carbon fibre and transparent polycarbonate, ensuring the 5.0 liter V10 is visible in full glory. Wheels are new Scorpius forged rims wrapped with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres. In the interior, you sit in monocoque carbon fibre sports seats covered in Alcantara, with a suede-covered steering wheel.

It is available in 4 colors: Midas Yellow, Borealis Orange, Telesto Gray and Noctis Black. Shown in this post is Telesto Gray. There’s also options for a multimedia system with GPS and CD changer, a rear parking video camera, Carbon fibre trim for the interior, a fixed rear spoiler, a 4-point seatbelt, and carbon ceramic brakes.

One more photo after the jump. Click photos to enlarge.

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