Archive for Cars

Ford has announced a few updates to its cars in conjunction with the Geneva show that’s coming up very soon at the end of this month. First, the Kuga’s 2.0 liter Duratorq TDCi engine has been updated to a new model that produces 163 PS instead of the 136 PS version that it previously had. This brings down the car’s 0 to 100km/h acceleration time from 10.7 seconds down to 9.6 seconds.

Next, the Mondeo gets a new 2.0 liter Ford EcoBoost SCTi 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes a very nice 203 PS. It comes standard with the 6-speed Powershift twin clutch transmission. Ford doesn’t really say if this engine replaces anything in the Mondeo engine line-up but looking at power output, it slots neatly between the 2.3 liter Duratec HE with 161 PS and the Volvo-sourced 2.5 liter 5-cylinder Duratec with 220 PS. The 2.0 liter Duratorq engine in the Mondeo also gets the new 163 PS model, which means the Mondeo 2.0 TDCi is now available in three power outputs – 115 PS, 140 PS and the new 163 PS. The range topping diesel Mondeo is the 2.2 liter Duratorq making 175 PS.

I wonder if the fact that Ford has squeezed at least 163 PS out of their 2.0 liter Duratorq engine means that we can do the same with our Focus TDCi with some rechipping. That would be quite an interesting take on an actual affordable ‘hot hatch’ for Malaysia.

As if he has not enough problems on his plate, Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, will now fly to the US to attend a hearing of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 24 titled, “Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public At Risk?”. Toyoda, grandson of the brand’s founder, probably did not have much choice as he was formally invited (more like summoned) to America by Chairman Edolphus “Ed” Towns.

In the invite to Toyoda, Towns wrote: “There appears to be growing public confusion regarding which vehicles may be affected and how people should respond. In short, the public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it. To help clarify this situation, I am inviting you to testify.

“You may submit written testimony for the record, of any reasonable length. In addition to your written testimony, you should be prepared to provide a five minute opening statement and answer questions posed by Members of the Committee.”

Sounds like a grilling in store, but Toyoda is not shrking off the responsibility and will “stand in the dock”. “I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people,” the TMC president answered.

After Fairuz Fauzy clocked in about 334 kilometres on the first day of testing in Jerez, earning himself a Superlicense in the process, the Lotus Cosworth T127 was passed to Heikki Kovalainen for the second day.

Wet conditions greeted the team as they arrived on track. First out at exactly 9am, Heikki completed about 30 laps before a small mistake saw the Finn hit the barriers, bringing the team’s day to an early close, but not before useful data had been accumulated.

“It’s lacking grip, it hasn’t got enough grip. And in the high-speed I think we lose quite a lot of time, partly because of the set-up problems as well. The car is a little bit heavy still and we need to make it lighter, then we can move the balance around and all these things,” Heikki told Autosport, but added that “my initial feeling from the car is good – it fundamentally feels right.”

“Unfortunately a small off and a lack of spare parts curtailed the amount of laps we were able to do today, but fortunately we’ve got spare parts arriving this evening. Up to that point we had got on top of some reliability issues from the previous day and the car was running very smoothly. Although we have lost some track time, the changing conditions made it very difficult, so we haven’t lost too much and we’ll be ready to continue with Heikki in the morning,” Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne clarified.

Popular BMW tuner AC Schnitzer has worked on the BMW X1 and this white result you see here will be paraded at Geneva. This project is not a surprise though; just a matter of when, not if.

Visually, AC’s X1 gets a front spoiler, rear skirt extension and rear roof spoiler, which join forces to “improve downforce and ensure additional ground adhesion”. Other visual tricks include bonnet vents and chromed centre webs. Of course we need some flashy rims, and AC’s new Type VIII 19-inch wheels with double spokes in “BiColor” finish is an evolution of the popular Type VI wheel. The looks are backed by a spring kit and an aluminium strut brace for “the perfect balance between sporting performance and driving comfort”.

There’s some extra go too. The X1 xDrive23d gets a power hike from 204 bhp to 240 bhp, while the 1.8d engine goes from 143 horsepower to 171 bhp and the 2.0d jumps to 210 bhp from 177 bhp.

Inside, the X1 gets a massive dose of AC badges, but interesting details include a rim design for the iDrive controller and gear knobs with the gear position showing on its head. Full gallery after the jump.

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This is the Flextreme GT/E concept car that will be Opel’s showstar at the Geneva show next month. Using the Chevrolet Volt’s extended range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology, the 4.7-metre Flextreme is the first big bodied housing for the E-REV drivetrain.

As a recap, the wheels of E-REV cars are powered by electricity at all times (unlike hybrids). For journeys up to 60 km, energy is supplied by a lithium-ion battery pack. However, unlike regular EVs, E-REV will continue running when the battery is depleted, as a small gasoline engine then acts as a generator to provide current. GM says that this arrangement “eliminates any possibility of range anxiety through fear of being stranded without power”. Charging the Flextreme via a 230V outlet takes less than three hours.

The Flextreme GT/E has a drag co-efficient of just 0.22, which helps it reach a 200 km/h-plus top speed. Weight reduction measures include the use of carbon composite panels, polycarbonate window glazing and aluminum alloy structural components. 370 Nm of torque comes in at 0 rpm to propel the Flextreme to 100 km/h below nine seconds.

More pictures after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Opel Flextreme GT/E is a “big Chevrolet Volt”

Tesla Motors, maker of the battery powered Roadster sports car, lost three employees in a plane crash which happened over California’s Silicon Valley. The twin-engine Cessna 310 crashed shortly after taking off in fog from Palo Alto Airport. No injuries were reported on ground, but the accident cut off power supply to companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Facebook.

“We are withholding their identities as we work with the relevant authorities to notify the families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Tesla is a small, tightly-knit company, and this is a tragic day for us,” said Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk.

Police said that the plane struck a power tower and one of its wings came off, hitting a residential structure. Electricity was cut across the town, affecting about 28,000 people and forcing two hospitals to rely on emergency systems.

This unfortunate incident aside, things are looking up for the company. Palo Alto will be the future base for Tesla Motors, which is set for an initial public offering and the announcement of the location of its US assembly site. The 500-staff outfit has delivered about 1,000 of its $109,000 Roadsters (0-96 km/h in 3.7 seconds, 200 km/h limited top speed) to buyers, which includes celebrities like George Clooney.

Here’s another one of those Porsche promotional footages of their products – this time it’s the new baseline Porsche Panamera and Porsche Panamera 4, which with their V6 power joins their more powerful Panamera S, Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo 4S siblings to complete the Panamera range. Or at least for now – I’m expecting at least one hybrid variant, and could we perhaps see a diesel as well, since there is a diesel Cayenne?

This is the Tesla EYE Concept, a concept car which was commissioned by EV carmaker Tesla to a group of IED Turin (L ‘Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin) design students. The project brief was this – a 2+2 sports car that can be used everyday with an affordable price that targets young, cosmopolitan customers.

A total of 11 students of the Masters of Arts in Transportation Design programme at the IED coordinated by Pininfarina senior designer Luca Borgogno and FIAT senior designer Andrea Militello worked on the project, and were supervised by Tesla Motors chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. Pirelli and OZ Racing also helped out wherever needed.

One half of the Cayenne-Touareg ‘twins’ have already been unveiled, but there has already been hints of the new version of the popular Porsche Cayenne being dropped around by Porsche. Look at the promotional image of the new Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid shown above – notice there’s an SUV following it? All we can see is the headlamps right now but with a little Photoshop magic…

Tada! We’ll see the all-new Cayenne in full in the Geneva at the end of this month.

Volkswagen has finally unwrapped the all new Polo GTi. This high-performance Polo has a supercharged 1.4 liter TSI engine under its hood which is able to crank out 178hp at 6,200 revs and 249Nm of torque from as low as 2,000 revs.

This enables the mini GTi to hit 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and it will continue till it reaches 225 km/h. That’s actually pretty decent as anything below 8 seconds starts getting fun. Fuel consumption is figured at 47 mpg on a combined cycle.

The engine in paired with the company’s 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, fondly known as DSG. The hot super mini also has an XDS electronic differential system which is part of the standard ESP system. The Polo GTi is treated to new springs and dampers which bring the hatch lower by 15 mm.

Exterior wise it has a honeycomb grille with red strips, a subtle bodykit, new headlights with the option to add LED daytime running lights and a pair of chrome-tipped exhaust pipes at the back. It sits on 17-inch alloy wheels which are also found on the Golf GTi.

Inside you will find a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters, aluminium pedals, front sports seats finished in tartan trim, gloss black trim on the centre console as well as a black headliner.

Continue reading to view an image gallery.

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Bufori has announced that it will present an all new vehicle at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Called the MkVI saloon for now, it will be powered by a 6.1 liter engine. Unfortunately we do not have information regarding its power figures at the moment. It took Bufori two years to develop the MkVI which is the brand’s first 4-door vehicle.

Pictured above is an initial sketch released by the company and it points to Bufori’s typical design language: modern day motoring under a vintage-styled skin. It will be made to order and production is scheduled to start in June 2010. Bufori will also reveal the saloon’s official name during the launch.

Bentley has unwrapped the all new Continental Supersports Convertible which joins the coupe variant that was launched last year. The convertible which will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show is powered by the same 630hp twin-turbo W12 mouth-watering engine (with 800Nm of torque) found in the coupe version making it the most powerful four-seater convertible in the world.

This engine is able to run on petrol, E85 bioethanol or a combination of both. 0 – 100 km/h takes 4.2 seconds while top speed is figured at 325 km/h. It also features reworked suspension, steering and ESP settings, carbon-ceramic brakes as well as sticky Pirelli Ultra High Performance tires, among others. An image gallery can be found after the jump.

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Lotus has decided to give the Elise a facelift and this is the final product. Lets go over the key changes in regards to the design. The most significant change is the new headlight design which is part of a revised front fascia. The headlights are now combined with LED daytime running lights and LED direction indicators.

Over at the rear, the vents which were placed at the side of the outer taillights in the previous version have been removed. The rear bumper has been restyled and there is also a new engine cover.

The Elise’s aerodynamics efficiency has been improved as well, by 4%. There are also new alloy wheels. The company also revealed that it has increased the Elise’s warranty period from 2 years to 3 years and 36,000 miles.

All three engines offered with the Elise now output lesser emissions. The 136 PS 1.6 liter outputs 155 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer followed by the 192 PS 1.8 liter with 196 grams and lastly the 220 PS supercharged 1.8 liter with 199 grams. The above mentioned 1.6 liter powerplant is a new entry-level unit and it features Valvematic and Dual VVT-I technologies.

Other upgrades include a new 6-speed close ratio gearbox and the availability of cruise control which is part of the Touring Pack. Potential buyers will also be able to open the rear boot from the interior instead of making do with a separate key.

You can check out more images after the jump together with a detailed press release with more technical details on the new Elise.

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A new Nissan compact car will be unveiled at the Geneva show at the end of this month, and Nissan has given us a preview of what they will be launching in the form of a video that shows interviews of members of the project team.

Some juicy details revealed include the fact that the car will be powered by a new 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine, although both 3-cylinders and 4-cylinders were considered at first. According to Nissan, it was “obvious” that the 3-potter delivered the best balance of performance, cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness. This new engine will also be mated to a new CVT transmission that uses a sub-planetary gear. All these new components will sit on a new platform called the “V-platform”.

This new compact car will be none other than the new Nissan March/Micra and we’ve actually already seen spyshots of this car (shown above) – and they seem to match the previously released sketches (shown at the top).

Check out the video below. You’ll have to put up with the team members going on and on about what a breakthrough the car is though. Nissan says sales of the production car will begin in Thailand in March, with European sales starting in the autumn. Wonder if a Thai introduction means ETCM are able to bring it in Malaysia anytime this year?

Porsche has finally released the “baseline” model of the Panamera – the Panamera and the Panamera 4. Up until now the Panamera has only been available with normally aspirated or turbocharged versions of its V8 engine.

The new Panamera variant is powered by a 3.6 liter V6 engine with direct fuel injection, producing 300 horsepower and a very impressive 400Nm of torque. That’s about 111Nm per liter of displacement, while a lot of other engines barely touch 100Nm per liter. Normally you only get 400Nm from well-tuned 4.0 liter engines.

The V6 engine will be mated to Porsche’s PDK gearbox and will also include Auto Start/Stop, allowing 30.4mpg for the Panamera and 29.4mpg for the four wheel drive Panamera 4. Both models are EU5 emissions compliant.

The introduction of this new V6-engined Panamera and Panamera 4 in Malaysia should lower the cost bar for entering the realm of Panamera ownership, and the 3.6 liter engine will enjoy significantly lower road tax too.

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