BMW has unveiled the third BMW M3 bodytype this week, the E93-based BMW M3 Convertible. It might or might not be the last BMW M3 body type of this generation, since there is an M5 Touring, could we possibly see an M3 Touring? No sighting of such a thing in spyshots so far, so maybe not.

Like its sedan and coupe siblings, the BMW M3 has the new 4.0 liter normally aspirated V8 under its hood, putting out 420 horsepower and 400Nm of torque at 3,900rpm, revving all the way up to 8,400rpm. 0 to 100kmh with the 6 speed manual takes 5.3 seconds, compared to he M3 Coupe’s 4.9 seconds.

This is the first BMW M3 Convertible with a hard top retractable roof, as the E46 M3 Convertible had a soft top. The less rigid convertible body has also been enforced to take the extra power. For one, the anti-roll bar has a larger diameter but is hollow.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New E93 BMW M3 Convertible unveiled!

As expected, the Toyota Venza - a new American-only car with the performance of a sedan and the functionality of an SUV turned out the be version of the Toyota Mark X ZiO reskinned inside and out - the Venza is wider and longer than the Mark X ZiO, but shares the same wheelbase. Someone needs to remind Toyota North America that a sedan with the functionality of an SUV is actually a station wagon.

The new Toyota Venza is available with two engine options - an unspecified 2.7 liter inline-4 (all-new, not the 151 PS unit from the Toyota Hiace van) or a nice 268 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 with 333Nm of torque. Both engines drive either the front wheels or all four wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual sequential shifting.

The wheels that Toyota have put on this one are huge - 245/50R20 tyres on 20 inch alloy wheels for the V6 version, while the 2.7 liter 4 cylinder version comes with 19 inch wheels as standard, with 20 inch wheels being optional. Unlike the Japanese market Toyota Mark X ZiO, the Toyota Venza is strictly a 5 seater. The rear seats can recline up to 14 degrees for better passenger comfort. The Venza will be equipped with 7 airbags which include a driver’s knee airbag.

A first for a Toyota in the US is the Automatic High Beam headlight system. With this system, when you are using your high beams, the system automatically switches headlights to low beam when it detects oncoming traffic. When the system detects the oncoming traffic has passed, it switches back on the high beams automatically.

Full details on the Toyota Venza’s specifications will be available towards the end of 2008 when the car actually goes on sale.

More photos after the jump.

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Toyota Mark X ZiO launched in Japan

Click here to read the rest of New Toyota Venza unveiled at Detroit 2008

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The Naza Sorento (rebadged Kia Sorento) has been facelifted in Malaysia, and while we do not gain the new powerful VGT turbodiesel thats available in Europe, the 2.5 liter intercooled turbodiesel engine still remains one of the more powerful ones in the segment, producing 140 PS at 3,800rpm and 294Nm of torque at 2,000rpm. This is mated to a 5-speed (1 overdrive) automatic gearbox, with Active Torque Transfer between the front and rear wheels, high/low ratios, and a limited slip differential.

The facelifted Naza Sorento features a 3-bar chrome radiator grille and a new front bumper with circular fog lamps. The Sorento also gets new front headlamps with a blackened out design - these are of the projector type. It has 16 inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, and a new rear bumper.

Because of the new bumpers, the new Naza Sorento is 4,590mm long, 20mm longer than the pre-facelift Sorento. Ground clearance is 203mm, wheelbase is 2,710mm, track is 1,580mm for both front and rear, width is 1,865mm, and height is 1,730mm (1,810mm with roof rack). Exterior colours consist of a choice of 4 colours - Ebony Black, Sand Beige, Clear White and Clear Silver. All are two-tone matched with Pewter Gray.

The interior upholstery is grey with brown high gloss wood trim. Its too bad Naza Kia did not choose black for the interior as they did with the Kia Sportage - that would have given the interior a more upmarket feel, as it did with the Sportage. The interior instrument cluster is now brighter thanks to the use of LED lighting instead of the pre-facelift Sorento’s bulb lighting.

Interior legroom for the second row is now 890mm - 30mm more than the pre-facelift Sorento. Another new feature is dual zone climate control. There is a trip computer on the overhead console that shows a compass, distance to empty, average speed, elapsed drive time, and external temperature.

Kia Motors has retuned the Sorento’s suspension for better ride and handling. The front is an in-wheel type double wishbone suspension while the rear is a solid axle 5-link suspension with coil springs.

The front suspension now has larger bushes for improved ride, while the caster angle has been changed from 3.3″ to 3.89″ for improved straight line stability. The rear suspension has a longer lower arm length (now 655.1mm compared to pre-facelift 591.3mm) and adjusted angle to reduce the bouncy feeling associated with solid axle suspensions. Upper arm angle has also been adjusted for improved ride, and the upright shock absorber has been moved outside of the frame for improved ride.

Safety features include dual airbags and ABS. The new facelifted Sorento has a 5 star NHTSA NCAP rating, compared to the prefacelift Sorento’s 4 star rating. For the IIHS overall frontal test, the rating is now Good, compared to the prefacelift’s Acceptable grade. Euro NCAP test results revealed a 4 star score for both front and side impact.

The new facelifted Naza Sorento comes with a 5 year or 125,000km warranty, and a 2 year or 50,000km free service package, inclusive of lubricants and labour. Prices start at RM138,888 on the road.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Naza Sorento facelift launched in Malaysia

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While the public attention is focused on the hot new soon to be launched Proton Saga replacement, Proton continues to test the upcoming new versions of the Proton Waja and the Proton GEN2 with the Campro CPS engine under the hood. Reader Hakimin managed to snap these shots while the cars were taking a break at the Ayer Keroh rest stop on the way from Malacca to KL.

The Campro CPS has already been unveiled in Thailand together with the new facelifted Proton GEN2. The new Campro CPS engine produces 125 horsepower at 6,500rpm and 150Nm of torque at 4,500rpm as compared to the normal Campros 110 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 148Nm of torque at 4,000rpm.

In the meantime, wait for my full report on the new Proton BLM which will be published at 5:30PM this Friday, 18th January 2008. I know brochures and spy photos are being posted all around the internet by forums and blogs which are not under the constant direct scrunity of Proton, so this blog might seem a little “outdated” now, but paultan.org will be able to bring you the car’s most well kept secret - how the new Saga drives and what the new IAFM-equipped Campro engine feels like - this Friday! Stay tuned.

Related Posts:
2008 Proton GEN2 Facelift with CPS launched in Malaysia
Facelifted Proton GEN2 with Campro CPS engine launched in Thailand!

Latest Update: BMW M DKG - dual clutch transmission for the BMW M3!

BMW has unveiled the new BMW M3 Convertible at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, but coverage on that will come right after. Now we’ll have a look at some more details on the long-awaited BMW M DCT, BMW’s first twin clutch gearbox!

The new BMW M DCT twin clutch gearbox, like other twin clutch transmissions, will allow gear changes with very minimal interruption of power. It features Drivelogic, with 11 electronically controlled driving programs - 6 manual and 5 automatic. Each program is tailored to different scenarios.

A BMW M3 Convertible with the M DCT goes from 0 to 100km/h faster than one equipped with a manual transmission - 5.1 seconds versus 5.3 seconds. The M DCT’s 7-speeds means one extra ratio over the manual box.

Expect the next generation BMW M5 and BMW M6 to feature this new Getrag-sourced M DCT transmission too. BMW’s SMG3 gearbox will be phased out with the advent of this more advanced gearbox.

Related Posts:
BMW M DCT: BMW’s new twin clutch gearbox

Chrysler and Nissan has entered a rebadging deal, which involves Chrysler selling the Nissan Latio (called the Nissan Versa in North America) with a Chrysler marque in South America. I’m not sure if the Latio/Versa/Tiida will be badged as a Chrysler or a Dodge.

Chrysler already has does rebadging in South America - Dodge-badged Hyundai cars. This is Nissan’s second cooperation with Chrysler, with the first being a transmission deal - Nissan’s Jatco has been supplying Chrysler with transmisisons since 2004.

Next up: Chrysler assistance for next generation Nissan pickups perhaps?

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Volvo joins the ranks of car manufacturers with twin clutch gearboxes, made extremely popular by Volkswagen with their BorgWarner DSG. Volvo’s twin clutch transmission is a 6-speed unit called Powershift.

Powershift is a wet clutch gearbox, with one clutch for the odd gears and reverse gear, while the other clutch handles the even gears. Like other twin clutch systems, the next gear is preselected so upshifts can be done nearly instantly, giving a continuous flow of power without disruption because of gear changes.

The first production Volvo cars to be fitted with the Powershift transmission will be the 136hp, 320Nm 4-cylinder turbodiesel variants of the Volvo C30, S40 and V50.

This is funny stuff: Borat meets the Fast and the Furious. More of parody videos made to poke fun than anything else, the main stars of ProStreet Romania are two drivers and their cars - a Dacia 1310 and a Lada 1.3 GTX Turbo. I am not even sure if there is such a thing as a Lada 1.3 GTX Turbo. The three videos mainly poke fun at European ricer culture, especially with “third world” cars. Good lunchtime entertainment if you’re interested. The first one is quite large so you may want to pause it and wait for it to load, then play later. Videos after jump.

Click here to read the rest of ProStreet Romania: Borat meets Fast and Furious

Ford’s new Ford Verve Sedan Concept has been updated in its Detroit 2008 incarnation, and now features a new front fascia with a larger upper grille and new “more conservative” taillamps, if such a term could ever be used for a concept vehicle.

Ford confirms that North America will receive a new series of small cars as even the gas-guzzling American market is slowly moving towards small and fuel efficient cars now, rather than the likes of Lincoln Navigators. The first of the small cars will be a 4-door sedan based on this concept.

The new small cars are targetted at folks whom Ford calls “Mellennials”. These “Millenials” are a group of people aged 13 to 28 years, and will represent 28% of the US total population by 2010. They embrace eco-friendliness stay in constant touch using modern technology and demand best-in-class products from around the world.

More photos after the jump.

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Ford Verve sedan unveiled in China
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Click here to read the rest of New American Ford Verve Sedan Concept unveiled!

Mazda has given the RX8 a mid-life facelift, admittedly while only a mild evolution of the current model, it’s still worth a lookover to see what has changed.

The facelifted Mazda RX8 gets new front and rear bumpers on the outside, as well as new wheels. The chassis has been made more rigid through extra bracing. It also has a new rear suspension geometry. On the inside, the instrument panel now features an RPM meter with a variable red zone, much like what BMW has implemented for their M cars. This redzone starts at a low engine speed when the engine is first started up, and slowly moves up as the engine warms up.

Under the hood, the twin-rotor RENESIS 13B-MSP puts out 232 horsepower with a 6-speed manual transmission (with a new 4.444 ratio, down from 4.777), or 212 horsepower with a 6-speed Sport AT automatic. The engine revs all the way up to a 9,000rpm redline for the manual model, and 7,500rpm for the automatic.

There is an upgrade package called the R3 package which adds a rear spoiler, 19 inch forged aluminium wheels, Recaro seats, Bilstein shocks, a 300-watt Bose audio system, keyless entry and start, side skirts and fog lamps to the new facelifted RX8. The R3 name is a homage to the R1 and R2 packages offered on the RX7 FD.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Facelifted Mazda RX8 unveiled at Detroit 2008