Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer revealed!

May 21, 2009 at 3:06 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Opel, Vauxhall

Vauxhall Insignia VXR

The new Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer packs the practicality of a wagon with an electrical tailgate, the traction of all-wheel drive, the massive power of a turbocharged engine and the sweet sound of a V6 all in one vehicle.

The 2.8 litre turbocharged V6 from the top of the line Insignia originally producing 260 PS has been modified to make more power in the Insignia VXR. It now produces 325 PS, and this is put down to all wheels via an Adaptive 4X4 system and an eLSD (electronic limited slip differential). 0 to 100km/h takes 6 seconds.

Vauxhall Insignia VXR

Other changes with the VXR variant include a ride height that is 10mm lower, and a system called HiPerStrut, which is said to reduce torque steer and maintain negative camber during cornering, thereby improving wet and dry grip levels. The tourer rides on 19 inch alloys (20 inch forged at an option) which hide some nice Brembo stoppers behind their spokes. On the inside you have Recaro seats at the front and VXR specific steering, shifter and instrument panel graphics.

Vauxhall Insignia VXR

The Insignia VXR’s competitors are spelled clear. “The Insignia VXR Sports Tourer will be a compelling alternative for buyers in the premium sector who may currently be considering an Audi S4 Avant or BMW 335i M Sport Touring. We’ve already seen a swing to the Insignia from premium buyers who’d never before ticked the Vauxhall box on their wish list, and we expect to see the same buying pattern emerge with all versions of the Insignia VXR,” says Andy Gilson, Vauxhall’s Marketing Director.

Of course countries that get Opels instead of Vauxhalls will receive the Insignia OPC, which is the same animal with a different badge.
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New Subaru Legacy Wagon completes new family!

May 21, 2009 at 2:33 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Subaru

Subaru Legacy
New Legacy family clockwise form top: wagon, Outback and sedan

Subaru has unveiled the wagon body version of the new Subaru Legacy in Japan. We’ve already seen a wagon body new Legacy in the form of the new Subaru Outback but this is a wagon without all the off-roader bits.

Like the new Legacy sedan and Outback, the Legacy wagon will carry over all the improvements that the new Legacy has over the outgoing model – the increased length, width, height, widened tailgate, better engines (2.5 SOHC boxer, 2.5 DOHC turbo boxer, 3.6 DOHC boxer), better interior, the works!

New Subaru Legacy

It still looks pretty boring though so hopefully the drive makes up for it, or maybe this is one of those cars that simply look better in real life, like the F01 7-Series. We’ll probably see only very few of these only through special requests from the grey importers or perhaps none at all in Malaysia as wagons don’t do well in Malaysia and Motor Image is concentrating on the Subaru Forester.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the new Legacy wagon.

Related Posts:
2010 Subaru Outback makes an appearance at NYIAS 2009
2010 Subaru Legacy production car unveiled!
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Volkswagen Polo Wörthersee Concept previews GTI

May 21, 2009 at 2:00 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, Volkswagen

Polo Worthersee

Volkswagen will be exhibiting a concept version of what is to be the new generation Polo GTI. They are calling it the Volksagen Polo “Wörthersee 09″ Concept after the Wörthersee 2009 Tour event where it will be unveiled at. The Wörthersee Tour is essentially an annual meeting of Volkswagen and Audi enthusiasts in Europe.

The Polo Wörthersee 09 is done up in a paint that Volkswagen calls Flash Red, with two black stripes extending over the front, over the roof and all the way to the rear. The black wheels you see are 18 inches in size and are from the Budapest design.

Volkswagen must want to keep the Polo GTI engine secret from now (its platform mate Ibiza’s hot hatch versions feature both 150 PS and 180 PS 1.4 TSIs) as this display car is built around a 1.4 MPI Polo and still comes with the donor car’s engine, which puts out a boring 86 PS.
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New 265 PS Volkswagen Scirocco R unveiled!

May 21, 2009 at 1:01 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Scirocco R

Here’s the hottest version of the Volkswagen Scirocco so far, released just in time for the Scirocco race car’s Nurburgring 24 hour race entry.

This blue devil is the new Volkswagen Scirocco R, and it is powered by a boosted up version of the firm’s venerable 2.0 litre TSI engine, now producing 265 PS and 350Nm of torque, which is similiar to the motor found in the Audi TT-S and the Audi S3. This engine drives the front wheels only, through an XDS front differential lock.

Volkswagen Scirocco R

The Scirocco R gets its own bodykit which Volkswagen says is largely based on the Scirocco GT24 race car. The front bumper features large air intake openings which will provide adequate cooling for the boosted up engine, and the rear features a black diffuser and dual chrome tailpipes. The side profile is dominated by the 18 inch Talladega design alloy wheels.

As always, look after the jump for a full gallery!
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Audi Q5 custom concept with 408 PS V6

May 20, 2009 at 2:55 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, Concept Cars

Audi Q5 custom concept

Audi has prepared a really tuned up Audi Q5 called the Audi Q5 custom concept, what handy timing for them to showcase this car right after the launch of the Q5 in Malaysia. Lucky owners with deep pockets even after shelling out RM300k or more for the SUV can head on right to shops like Next Level Customz with photos of this new Q5 concept in hand.

But the Audi Q5 custom concept is really more than just a Q5 with an aggressive bodykit. Under the hood is the supercharged 3.0 TFSI V6 from the Audi S4, but tuned up from the standard levels of 333 horses and 440Nm of torque up to 408 PS between 6k to 7k rpm and 500Nm of torque from 3k rpm up to 5.5k rpm.

Audi Q5 custom concept

0 to 100km/h in this body takes only 4.4 seconds. If a future new RS4 is ever going to dump its delicious-sounding V8 for a supercharged V6, expect this kind of power levels. In fact we could actually be looking at a future Q5-S if Audi wants to take it up a notch, but there is no plans for a GLK AMG or X3-M so far. Power is channeled to all wheels via quattro and a quick-shifting 7-speed S-tronic twin clutch transmission.

The aesthetic modifications have also widened the modded Q5′s track by 90mm and ride height lowered by 60mm. Those wheels that look like 7 spokes of steel stained with blood are 21 inches in size.

Look after the jump for a full photo gallery.
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Ducati 1198 and 1198 S launched at Next Bike’s new Ducati showroom in TTDI!

May 20, 2009 at 1:15 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Bikes, Ducati

Ducati 1198

Naza’s Next Bike Sdn Bhd has just opened the doors to its second Ducati showroom in Malaysia, occupying the first floor of the 3-storey 28,000 square feet Naza Autoworld Complex at TTDI Plaza. Service remains at the 4S centre at Naza Automall PJ along the Federal Highway.

The new Ducati 1198 also got its official importer launch at the showroom opening. Next Bike has held the Ducati import and distributorship since November 2000, so it’s been 9 years of sales now. Next Bike intends to sell 120 Dukes this year from the entire Ducati range including the Monster, Hypermotard and the superbikes.

An initial allocation of 13 Ducati 1198 and 1198S has arrived, but already some have been pre-sold. The bike’s 1198cc Testastretta Evoluzione engine puts out 180 horses at 9,750rpm and 13.4kgm of torque at 8,000rpm. The new motor is nearly 3kg lighter than the one in the 1098 S.

The 1198 S also has a Ducati Traction Control system which is competition ready, and system activation/intervention is indicated on the rider’s instrument panel.

Ducati 1198

Other than the DTC system, the 1198 S further improves upon the 1198 with lighter wheels – 7-spoke GP replica Marchesini forged and machined wheels to be exact, while the 1198 uses 10-spoke wheels. The 1198 S uses 43mm Ohlin shocks while the 1198 uses a set supplied by Showa. There is also a Ducati Data Analysis package for the S, which enables the retrieval and analysis of data collected from your previous track session or road trip via a USB cable and PC software.

Other than the bikes, a full range of Ducati and Ducati Corse mechantise from fashion wear to premium gifts, miniature bikes and lifestyle equipment with Ducati branding are also sold at the showroom.

The Ducati 1198 goes for RM158k while the 1198 S goes for RM185k. Look after the jump for some images and a video of the 1198 and the 1198 S.
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Lexus F-Sport kit for the IS C Convertible

May 19, 2009 at 7:24 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus

Lexus IS C

The Lexus F-Sport bodykit and aftermarket accessory range has been extended to cover the new 2-door hard top convertible body variant of the Lexus IS.

In case you haven’t previously read about it, the F-Sport range of products is a step between a regular Lexus and F cars like the IS-F, much like BMW’s M-Sport parts are positioned between a regular 3 and an M3.

Lexus IS C

The IS C you see here carries alloy wheels of the same design as the one first launched with the sedan IS F-Sport, and the rest of the performance accessories also seem the same, so for full details you can read my previous post on the F-Sport parts. The only thing is the wheels now also seem to be available in 18 inch sizes, while previously the F-Sport kit was launched with 19 inch wheels.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the IS C equipped with the kit.
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VIDEO: Porsche Panamera Promo Footage

May 19, 2009 at 4:35 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Porsche, Videos

Porsche Panamera

Here’s some promo footage that Porsche shot of their latest car, the 4-door Porsche Panamera grand tourer. The 2010 model year car was first unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2009 just last month in production form.

At launch time, only V8 models will be available. Both front mounted engines will be similiar to the V8 motors in the Porsche Cayenne SUV, one normally aspirated and one turbocharged. Like the baseline Cayenne, a baseline 3.6 litre V6 model will come later, including a hybrid model.

Look after the jump for the video and a gallery.
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Hamann kit for the F01 BMW 7-Series

May 19, 2009 at 11:02 am By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars

Hamann F01

Once I was driving around town and saw an E39 5-Series with a long horizontal strip of LED daytime running lights, one strip on each side of the bumper. I later found out that these long strips of LEDs were available from accessory shops and you could put them on anywhere on the car you want. These horizontal strips of lights have become so popular (by Audi) that even Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have implemented them. And now it comes to BMW via a namebrand bodykit, thanks to Hamann.

The Hamann bodykit for the F01 and F02 BMW 7-Series features a short strip of daytime running lights integrated into the front bumper. The rest of the bodykit does well to make the car seem more dynamic and aggressive, including a roof spoiler and some mean-looking quad tailpipes with 90mm diameter outlets. The Hamann side skirts are only for the short wheelbase F01.

Hamann F01

The 730d and 740i receive 4 new springs which lower the car’s centre of gravity at the front and rear axles by 40mm each, while the 750i and 750Li gets a set with 2 new springs and an “evening kit” – I’m not entirely sure what that is. Wheels are 22 inchers wrapped with 265/30ZR22 tyres at the front axle and 295/25ZR22 tyres at the rear axle.

Hamann has also thrown in some engine tuning for the 730d. The single turbo alumininum crank turbodiesel engine gets its 245hp power upped by another 45, and Hamann says this is just the first stage.

Look after the jump for a full image gallery.
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10% rebate on direct motor insurance buys?

May 19, 2009 at 10:44 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News

Usain Bolt M3

Right now when you renew your motor insurance, 10% of the fee you are paying actually goes to the insurance agent as commission. From the 1st of July 2009 onwards, you could potentially save on this 10% fee by buying your motor insurance from insurance companies directly.

Insurance companies will have to offer mandatory rebates to customers who buy insurance directly such as through the Internet, telemarketing, direct mailing, or walk-in customers. If you are a new customer you will be entitled to a 5% rebate, and from the 2nd year renewing with that company onwards, you’ll get a 10% rebate.

There are already plenty of insurance companies selling insurance online such as ETiQA. But while this move will benefit consumers who are aware of this and know how to go directly to the insurance companies, many insurance agents would have lost a source of annual income, as the same person usually goes back to a certain agent every year for his motor insurance needs.

Source

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