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V12-powered Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept previews future unnamed “compact” model

February 20, 2009 at 4:46 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, Rolls Royce

Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept

This is Rolls-Royce’s new 200EX concept car, which is set to be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motorshow early next month. This car has gone by various names in the last few months, the 200EX, the RR4, these are all codenames for the production version which has yet to be named in public.

Despite this being a concept, it should look very similiar to the production model, something that the BMW Group has been known for doing for their last few concept cars. BMW promises that this “baby” Rolls-Royce will ride as well as traditional Rolls-Royce models such as the Phantom, and it will even use an air suspension like in the Phantom. This model is based on some components from the long wheelbase F02 7-Series chassis, which only has air springs at the rear.

Rolls-Royce 200EX Concept

It will have its own height, length and wheelbase, unique to the car and not shared with any other model. Its wheelbase of 3295mm is longer than the LWB 7-Series F02′s 3,210mm, but shorter than the Phantom’s massive 3,571mm wheelbase. Not sure whether the F01/F02′s rear wheel steering will make it into this vehicle or not, but if the whole idea is a more compact Rolls with a more engaging drive I don’t see why the rear wheel steering system won’t fit the bill.

Under the hood will be a new BMW V12 engine which will also debut in the 760i, and some publications have reported a 6-speed auto, so I have no idea what happened to that 8-speed automatic transmission that was supposed to be sourced from ZF. While we enjoy the concept for now, BMW is still working hard on a production version which will be revealed later this year at the Frankfurt show.

Check out a gallery of shots after the jump.
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Skoda Fabia Scout expands the Skoda Scout range

February 20, 2009 at 4:21 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Skoda

Skoda Fabia Scout

Skoda has released a set of 3 images of their new Skoda Fabia Scout, an alterative to the 5-door wagon variant if its B-segment Skoda Fabia hatchback. The two tone paintwork and roofrails lend the Fabia Scout a slight softroader look, and standard wheels are 16 inch alloy with the option for larger 17 inch ones, rather large for a B-segment hatch, which shows the Fabia Scout’s positioning is not too far from Volkswagen’s CrossPolo.

A few economical engines are available – a 1.4 litre 85 horsepower unit, a 1.6 litre 105hp unit, and two diesels – 1.4 litre unit with 80hp and a 1.9 litre unit with 105hp. The fuel consumption for the oil burners are both less than 5 litres per 100km, while the petrol units only manage 6.5 litres and 6.9 litres for the two engine sizes respectively, clearly showing the abilities of diesel engines to be extremely fuel efficient.

So when is our beloved Malaysian government going to bring our diesel standards below the current MS123 and proposed Euro 2 upgrade to something even better so that we can be assured of running these economical cars reliably?
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Audi A4 allroad quattro ready for Geneva 2009!

February 20, 2009 at 4:13 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News

Audi A4 allroad quattro

Here is an initial batch of 6 photos of the latest variant of the B8 Audi A4, the allroad quattro. Much like its larger sibling the A6 allroad quattro, the A4 allroad quattro is essentially an A4 avant that gets offroader styling, two tone flared wheel arches, underbody guards and a raised suspension.

The engine offering will be similiar to the rest of the A4 range, a varied bunch of excellent motors that range from the 211hp EA888 2.0 TFSI to a diesel V6 with 3.0 litres of displacement, putting out 240hp and a massive 500Nm of torque. All allroad models will have permanent quattro all-wheel drive to justify its offroader looks, but unlike Volkswagen who sticks with a 6-speed auto for its SUVs for better offroading capabilities, the A4 allroad quattro uses an S-Tronic dual clutch transmission.

More shots will likely be released before or during the car’s Geneva debut, so stay tuned!
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Saab might go bankrupt within 10 days?

February 20, 2009 at 3:16 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Saab

Saab LogoSaab may be the next automotive manufacturer casualty in this recession, right after Ssangyong filed for court receivership earlier this year. GM says Saab is just 10 days away from bankruptcy, and if it does not get financial aid soon it will have to file for reorganization or bankruptcy.

Reorganization will allow them to negotiate with their creditors and convince them that it will be able to reorganize and writedown the value of its debts in goodwill. Once in a state of reorganization (receivership), creditors cannot come knocking for debts and GM will also cease control over Saab.

Saab will then be able to go to the Swedish government for help again, although attempts at asking for a bailout have not been successful in the past. GM says it only wants a bailout to keep Saab running long enough to find a buyer.

It asked for US$568 million, however Swedish Industry Minister Maud Olofsson said Saab has been running at a loss for years now and she did not get elected to give a bailout to a company with a bad track record, something that she views as irresponsible. She also says she will not put the burden of owning car companies and car factories on the Swedish taxpayer.

Anyway, if their creditors are not convinced that a successful reorganization can occur in the first place, it will have to proceed with bankruptcy.

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Chery unveils new Chery S18 electric car

February 20, 2009 at 2:13 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chery, China, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

Chery S18

Chinese auto manufacturer Chery claims the new Chery S18 (it’s not wrong for you to see a resemblance to the Suzuki Splash) to be Chery’s first self-developed electric car, capable of hitting a top sped of 120km/h and a maximum range of 150km on a full charge. The Chery S18 uses iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in between 4 to 6 hours, and 80% charged in half an hour.

This makes Chery the 2nd Chinese manufacturer to unveil an electric car after BYD unveiled its plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM last year. Chery also demonstrated its hybrid systems as part of the Beijing Olympics fleet. Hybrid versions of the Chery A5 with electric motors and hybrid systems developed by supplier Ricardo were used as part of transportation arrangements. Its rival BYD on the other hand, has the confidence, support and investment of Warren Buffet‘s Berkshire Hathaway.

Look after the jump for a rear shot of the S18.
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GM shuts down High Performance Vehicle Operations

February 20, 2009 at 1:33 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, International News

Cadillac CTS-V

GM has just shut down its equivalent of BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG, in efforts to conserve money and stay afloat. GM’s High Performance Vehicle Operations are responsible for cars such as the Cadillac CTS-V and the SS-badged Chevrolets. All engineers in the HPVO division will be moved to other divisions and will work on regular GM cars such as Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevys and Pontiacs. GM’s spokesman Vince Muniga says the HPVO division might be brought back to life in the future when GM is in better financial health, but right now in line with its pledge to the U.S. Treasury Department to deliver more fuel efficient cars in the future, there is no room for low-volume niche high-performance products.

Related Posts:
2009 Cadillac CTS-V gives you 556hp to play with!

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Hyundai Hyundai HED-6 ix-ONIC concept previews next generation Hyundai Tucson (ix35)!

February 20, 2009 at 12:51 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, Hyundai, International News, Koreans

The concept car you see here will toned down (especially the aggressive front bumper) for production as the replacement model for the next generation Hyundai Tucson SUV, or rather its expected new name, the Hyundai ix35. At the moment, it’s called the Hyundai HED-6 ix-ONIC concept, one that seats 5 and measures 4400mm long, 1850mm wide and 1650mm high. The production car will be assembled in Slovakia next to the 2010 Kia Sportage, a vehicle which it shares a platform and a majority of technical components with. The Sportage is expected to be out in February 2010, but no release date was indicated for the Tucson/ix35. Look after the jump for a rear view of the car.
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Sabah government dumps Perdana for Volvos!

February 20, 2009 at 12:05 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Volvo

Volvo S80

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman says his government has switched from the Proton Perdana V6 Executive to new “black Volvo 2.5″ cars as the state’s new official cars. Once again as with Perak (Camry) and Terengganu (Mercedes-Benz E200K), the reason given was the high maintenance cars for the Perdanas.

He says the arrangement for the purchase is through a company called Angkatan Hebat Sdn Bhd (a company which the state government holds 70% of through its Warisan Harta Sabah Sdn Bhd investment arm), which will then lease the cars to the state.

The Perdana V6 is still in use as official cars for some senior officers including permanent secretaries and heads of departments. The new imported Volvos are for the 12 Sabah Ministers only. A 2.5 litre Volvo sedan would most likely point to the Volvo S80, the 2.5T model in particular, which offers an effortless drive thanks to its torquey 2.5 litre inline-5 turbocharged engine. The Volvo S80 2.5T has also been spotted being used by the PDRM as part of its police car fleet. But if it is not a sedan (New Sabah Times sources only revealed it was a “car”, did not specify any bodyshape), an XC90 would make sense.

The only question right now is, how will the S80s be maintained well when according to the Volvo Cars Malaysia “Find A Dealer” page, there are no authorised dealers or service centers in Sabah? I hope Volvo Cars Malaysia will be able to provide training to Angkatan Hebat technicians or some other kind of arrangement, otherwise it might end up being “high maintenance” all over again. A quick check with Angkatan Hebat’s company profile (page 14) shows it already maintains a fleet of 38 Volvos and 14 service centers around Sabah so hopefully it should be sufficiently equipped.

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F01 BMW 7-Series: 1 hour long USA webcast

February 19, 2009 at 4:32 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Videos

BMW 7-Series

BMW USA held a 1-hour long Webcast on the 2009 BMW 7-Series (F01 and F02) on the 17th of February 2009 from San Diego, California, where BMW held a media drive for the American press. The webcast videos are now available to view as an archive.

They’re split into 8 chapters, with the first 7 chapters ranging between 2 minutes to 6 minutes long that feature various BMW personnel explaining the new 7-Series product features and design language choices, and the final chapter being a Q&A session that’s 24 minutes long.

Look after the jump for an index of the videos, as well as a new batch of hi-res photos of the 7-Series shot in the US!
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5-stars for Mazda 6 in EuroNCAP crash test

February 19, 2009 at 4:03 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

Mazda 6

The Mazda 6 (called the Atenza in Japan) has scored the 5-star maximum rating in the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) 2009 combined safety performance test. The 2009 performance test combines scores achieved in 4 areas – Adult Occupant Protection, Child Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist and is more stringent compared to the tests of the previous years.

“Mazda6’s maximum safety rating from Euro NCAP is a reflection of the progress Mazda has made in harmonizing driving pleasure with safety and environmental performance under our Sustainable Zoom-Zoom plan. Going forward, we will strive to fulfill our corporate social responsibilities by further advancing Mazda’s eco-friendly and safety technologies,” said Seita Kanai, Mazda senior anaging executive officer in charge of R&D and Program Management.

Some other Mazda vehicles have also gone through Euro NCAP testing albeit the old version of the crash test framework. The Mazda 5 and Mazda 2 were tested in 2005 and 2007 respectively and both scored 5-stars for Adult Occupant Protection rating.

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