AutoBikeMall: 2008

19 October 2008

GTbyCitroen

With GTbyCitroen, a show-car presented at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Citroen becomes the first vehicle manufacturer to cross to the virtual worlds. GTbyCitroen is a style replica of a vehicle from digital world.

18 October 2008

Caterham RS Levante

It seems that with the auto industry going downhill, ironically, the cars that still sell good are the most expensive ones. Two days ago we wrote about all the £1.2 million Aston Martin One-77 being sold, and now we’ve found out that the Caterham RS Levante is also sold out. It’s true, there were only 8 units built, but still, the car is not cheap at all, priced at £115,000 (almost $200,000).
The RS Levante is powered by a custom-built 40-valve, 2.4-liter, supercharged V8 which delivers 500 hp. A lot of power, but nothing impressive, you might say. However, the car features a carbon-fiber, Kevlar and aluminum body, so it weights only 1150 pounds, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 1000 hp per ton, which is double that of the Bugatti Veyron. Caterham says that the RS Levante goes from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds and they’ve also announced that all customers will need to go through a two-day advanced driving school before getting the car.

2010 Toyota Prius

A few photos that revealed the 2010 Toyota Prius were leaked on the net. However, there was a lot of suspicion around these photos and no one knew whether these are for real or just some great Photoshop skills. But today the mistery is over, because Toyota made an official statement admitting that this really is the next generation of their popular hybrid. Beside confirming the photos, Toyota didn’t unveil anything else about the car, except that it will make its world debut at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show, in January.

Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept

Dodge will come up with what look like it’ll be one of the coolest cars on display at this year SEMA Show, the Dodge Challenger SRT10 concept. The car is powered by Viper’s 8.4-liter all-aluminum V10 engine which delivers 600 hp and 560 lb. ft. of torque. To cope with the power increase, Dodge engineers fitted the car with upgraded brakes and Bilstein shocks. Also, to outline it’s sporty ’soul’, the concept is finished in Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber deck lid and a shaker hood inspired from the 1970 HEMI Cuda, while the interior received sport seats, carbon-fiber inserts, and a red engine start button. We don’t know Dodge’s plans for the concept, but they’d better not tease us for nothing and figure out a way to put this into production, because it looks and sounds awesome.

Arash AF-10

Arash Cars is a supercar manufacturer since 2005 and now they finally unveiled the production ready model of the Arash AF-10 supercar. The car will be powered by a GM 7.0-litre engine that delivers 550 hp and which, mated to a 6-speed Grazianno manual gearbox, allows the car to sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in under 3.4 seconds, and to achieve a top speed of over 200 mph (320 km/h). The AF-10 will also get 19-inch wheels (plus optional 21-inch), leather interior, satellite navigation, MP3 player and rear view camera with integrated touchscreen. In order to be as lightweight as possible, the Arash AF-10 will get a carbon fiber body shell and chassis. What also very interesting is that the carmaker has announced that they’re also working on a supercharged version of the engine, which will develop around 850 hp.

Lexus IS 250 Sports Concept

Lexus has announced a new car at the Australian International Motor Show, the Lexus IS 250 Sports Concept. The car is basically a regular IS 250, with a few sporty upgrades, targeted at younger drivers that can’t afford an IS-F. The Sports Concept features some minor cosmetic changes, larger cross-drilled two-piece brake rotors at front and rear, Bilstein shock absorbers and springs for improved handling, plus sway bars and a chassis brace. For improved performances, Lexus gave the IS a new performance air intake (gives 3% more horsepower), a carbon fiber engine cover, new stainless steel ‘cat-back’ exhaust system (15% more horsepower) and ligthweight 19 inch graphite grey wheels.
Lexus hasn’t yet decided whether this concept will make it into production, but according to Lexus chief executive John Roca, there are high odds that we’ll see this car in dealerships soon.

26 September 2008

Maserati GranTurismo MC Corse Concept

Maserati suggested that they have a surprise for the Paris Motor Show. Today, they’ve unveiled the mistery, by announcing the Maserati GranTurismo MC Corse Concept, which will make its debut at next week’s French show and which basically is a race track version of the GranTurismo S.
By using a new air intake system, new racing catalytic converters, revised airflow and a new exhaust system, Maserati engineers managed to squeeze 10 more hp from the 4.7 liter V8 engine, which now delivers 450 hp. Because the power output increase is not that impressive, Maserati worked hard on the other parts of the car, like the aerodynamic kit, which includes a new front splitter, enlarged rear spoiler and road hugging rocker panels. The MC Corse also received upgraded suspension, sports enlarged brake discs with monobloc racing calipers and new 18-inch wheels, and, of course, an FIA-approved rollcage.

Another Teaser for Citroen GT Concept

Citroen has showed another teaser photo released for their new concept car, Citroen GT Concept. Now we can see a little more than the last teaser photo, we get to see a partial view of the front part. All we know so far is that the vehicle is a full scale concept of the Citroen sports car features in the upcoming GranTurismo Prologue5 video game for Playstation 3, that will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show.

Volkswagen Passat BlueTDI

The German carmaker, Volkswagen, has announced another premiere scheduled for the Paris Motor Show, the VW Passat BlueTDI.
The BlueTDI diesels are the cleanest engines VW has ever produced, comply to Euro-6 standards and they’ll go into production on the Passat starting next year. Europe will get them first, and though nothing was mention about the United States, the car will definitely be available here too. Volkswagen already offers BlueTDI engines, Euro 5 compliant, for the Tiguan and the Jetta, but the one featured in Paris represents the next generation, which combined with the dual-clutch DSG gearbox reduces CO2 emissions by up to 28%.
The Volkswagen Passat BlueTDI is powered by the 2.0-liter common-rail engine which now delivers 143hp, with a fuel consumption of 5.2 liters/100km (45 US mpg) and 139 g/km CO2 emissions for the Passat sedan, and 5.5 liters/100km (42.7 US mpg) and emits 144 g/km CO2 for the Variant.

Ford F450 Harley Davidson

Ford has launched the special edition of their F450 pick-up truck which they customized in partnership with Harley Davidson. It encompasses everything a big American truck should be, pure manly looks and a big engine, with no regards to the fuel average of pollution norms.

As special features will be exclusive to this car are quite a few intersting ones. Each of the models will get a blue flame paint job, to really stand out between all the other pick-up trucks, which is continued on the inside on the instrument gauge. Other features are perforated black leather seats for the passenger comfort, with the leather continuing on the door faces and dash board. Of course, being a collaboration with Harley Davidson, the logos of the famous motorcycle manufacturer are placed in key sport all around the car.

Fiat 500 PUR-O2

Fiat has just announced that it will premiere its new line of eco friendly cars entitled PUR-O2 in Paris. The models selected to be in the first batch of green-er cars will be the hit retro car, the 500, their contender to the title of hot hatch, the Bravo and the Croma. Each of them will have special features and will be branded with the PUR-O2 badge. The features that will make the cars more economical are a new, special, Bosch made Star&Stop system, special low rolling resistance tires, an aerodynamic body kit which will improve airflow, and tweaked up gearboxes which will improve the fuel efficiency.
Of course the most talked about model which will be graced with the PUR-O2 badge is the 500. Although speculations have been made that Fiat had a hybrid version of the little car in the works, this is as close as they got to that goal. The car will be powered by Fiat’s 1.2 litre petrol engine which will develop only 119 gr/km of CO2 emissions.

Volkswagen Golf VI GTI

Volkswagen has allready announced that the Paris Motor Show will also mark the debut of the Golf VI GTI.

The new Golf GTI will be powered by the 2.0 liter four cylinder TSI engine from its ‘almost-twin’ brother, the Scirocco, which delivers 207 hp (10 hp more than the current generation). The 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint is made in 7.2 seconds, the top speed is 148 mph (238 km/h), the combined fuel consumption is 37.6 mpg, and CO2 emissions level is 178 g/km.

The exterior styling features the front red grille, new headlights with individual lamp pods, more subtle side skirts, smoked rear light lenses, new rear diffuser and a pair of chrome tailpipes, plus the distinctive GTI 18-inch wheels finished in milled silver with gloss black inserts. Of course, the interior also became more sporty.

According to VW, the GTI production will start in spring 2009 and UK sales are expected to start in early summer, with prices and specifications announced closer to this date.

25 September 2008

The Bentley Arnage Final Series

The Bentley Arnage Final Series, a 150 units limited Arnage edition that will debut at next week’s Paris Motor Show celebrates a lot of stuff: 10 years of the Arnage, 50 years of its V8 engine, 90 years of the marque, Bentley Motors and the end of the Arnage production.
Under the hood, the Final Series will be powered by Bentley’s twin-turbo 6.75 liter V8 engine that delivers 500 bhp and 738 lb-ft of torque and, as you’d expect from a special edition of a luxury car, it is loaded with all sorts of features, like 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, retractable ‘Flying B’ bonnet mascot, body coloured headlamp bezels, dark tint matrix upper and lower grilles, ‘FINAL SERIES’ badge on front wings and Bentley ‘Jewel’ fuel filler cap for the exterior, while the interior has ‘FINAL SERIES’ treadplates to front doors, drilled alloy brake and accelerator pedals ,waistrails with inset chrome strip and recessed Bentley marque badges, rear cocktail cabinet and document stowage trimmed in hide, FINAL SERIES stainless steel flask and shot glassesm ,four Bentley umbrellas with wooden handles and large display audio head unit with Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot.

Ford Mondeo Tunning by Rieger

If you’re a fan of wagon models and also like to make your car a little more special, you might like this, the Ford Mondeo wagon with a sporty package from the German tuner Rieger. Nothing extraordinary about this, but it makes the Mondeo stand out of the crowd, with new front lip spoiler, new side skirts with cutout shaft and restyled rear bumper fascia, all available in either ABS plastic or carbon fiber finish. Other changes include a KW coilover suspension, SKN Technology chip tuning upgrades and three options for the exhaust system (dual pipes, single sport pipe or single downward curved pipe).

Facelifted Mercedes Benz SL Class by Lorinser

The German tuner Lorinser announced their latest product, a tuning package for the facelifted Mercedes Benz SL Class. The body kit features a new spoiler bumper with three large openings and racing grill inserts, integrated end-to-end lip into the widely flared Lorinser fender, new, larger air inlets, new side skirts and large air openings on the rear. The whole car was lowered, while the sporty look is completed by light-alloy wheels and by the four-tips exhaust system. Lorinser said that customers can also order a more sporty and elegant interior, but, unfortunately, nothing was mention about the mechanical changes, except that engineers are currently working on it.

Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard

For such clients Mercedes-Benz opened up, 80 years ago, the protection division of their company. Its sole purpose was to create custom versions of their cars, equipped with the latest and best protection equipment for their distinct clientelle. And these days, this division celebrates it’s 80th anniversary, reason for it to launch a new model with the iconic Pullman name, the S600 Pullman Guard.

This stretched limousine, based on the stock S600 model is fitted with the best armor and safety equipments on the market, gaining it a B6/B7 protection rating. With the powerful 5.5 litre V12 bi-turbo engine for the propulsion, it develops 517 hp with a torque of 830 Nm. But the clients won’t buy for the engine, but for the resistance against small arms projectiles and even grenades or other explosive charges. As optional extras, the car can also be fitted with features like a self sealing gas tank, roll flat tyres or a fire extinguishing system.

Also, the distinction between Mercedes-Benz’s protection division and other manufacturers is that they take the normal stock models of the cars and add the improvements. Others prefer to customize the chasis and add the protection, then make it all look like a normal car. But Mercedes stresses that the technology employed by their division doesn’t affect in any way the structural integrity of the car, but more so, it strenghtens it for the tough job it will have. For those who don’t really have the money for the S600, Mercedes also offers protection models based on the E and G Class.

Fiat 500 Abarth

The guys at Abarth sure love the Fiat 500. After a long series of tuning concepts and experiements, this is the latest one, the Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse. Quite surely this is the most interesting to date, with the looks and the presumed muscle to prove its worth and take down the best of its competitors like the Mini Cooper S. The presumed muscle, because no official release from Abarth has came regarding the power output of the engine backing this little Italian pocket rocket, but some say that a 170 hp 1.4 litre turbocharged engine might be backing the little car up.

But what we can judge for now is the outside. And Abarth surely outdid themselves with this one, being the most agressive model to date. The front part is now dominated by the big air vent, which replaces the sweet face of the retro model with a distinctive one. On the back, the first thing that pops out is the big rear wing, giving it the sporty look it deserves. Further down, the rear bumper finishes off the whole look of the car in a true italian fashion, with the rear air exhausts and dual tail pipes. Race spec bucket seats are also reported on the inside, with a complete revamp on the dash and trim which equipped the former stock model.

Audi S4

Audi has announced that the Paris Motor Show will mark the debut of the new Audi S4, both Sedan and Avant versions. To be honest, ever since we drove the new Audi A4 back in March, we’ve been waiting for the S4 version. We loved the A4 and I’m sure we’re gonna love the S4 too.
Powered by 3.0 liter V6 engine with direct fuel injection and mechanical turbocharging mated to a seven-speed S tronic gearbox, the new Audi S4 delivers a 333 hp (245 kW) and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.1 seconds, the Sedan model achieving a fuel consumption of 9.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (24.25 US mpg), while the Avant takes 9.9 liters per 100 km (23.76 US mpg). The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system and the sport suspension complete the package that makes the S4 experience a very sporty one.

24 September 2008

Peugeot 908 HY

Peugeot Sport profited from the final round of the 2008 Le Mans Series at Silverstone to unveil a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP equipped with a hybrid power plant, featuring a kinetic energy recovery system. The Peugeot 908HY was presented in a new, specific silver-grey livery and will provide a foretaste of what Peugeot's next endurance racing challenger could resemble, although its use will depend on the regulations that will govern LMP 1 cars from 2009.

In the course of a lap of Le Mans, for example, the system will recuperate energy for between 20 and 30 seconds. This energy reserve can be used for either delivering extra power thanks to an additional boost of 60 kW (80 bhp) for approximately 20 seconds per lap, either automatically when re-accelerating or when the driver chooses to make use of it ('push to pass') or to reduce fuel consumption for the equivalent level of performance thanks to the mechanical energy recovered (between three and five per cent)

Dodge EV Concept

The Dodge EV development Electric Vehicle is a two-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sports car that marries high performance with zero tailpipe emissions.'The Dodge EV sets a new standard for what can be expected in electric-drive vehicles,' said Lou Rhodes, Vice President – Advance Vehicle Engineering, and President – ENVI. 'The electric-vehicle technology enables a fun-to-drive performance sports car and helps redefine the vision of an environmentally responsible vehicle for the Dodge brand.'The electric-drive system consists of three primary components: a 200 kW (268 horsepower) electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery and an integrated power controller.The 200 kW electric-drive motor generates 650 N•m (480 lb.-ft.) of torque. The instant high torque of the electric-drive motor delivers outstanding performance, accelerating the Dodge EV to 60 mph in less than five seconds, with quarter-mile times of 13 seconds. The Dodge EV has a top speed of more than 120 mph.

Volkswagen Pickup Concept

Volkswagen has revealed the fourth model in its commercial vehicle line-up with the debut at the 2008 IAA in Hanover this week of an all-new Volkswagen Pickup Concept.Aiming to set new standards in the one-tonne pickup class, the new model will go into production at the end of 2009. It will be built at Volkswagen's 'Pacheco' plant in Argentina and introduced initially to markets in Europe, South America, South Africa and Australia.The Volkswagen Pickup Concept is all-new in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles line-up and is the first commercial vehicle to be designed under Volkswagen Group design chief, Walter de Silva's command. As such it exhibits what is referred to as 'historical DNA', in other words design elements which link it to other group models and give it a distinctive yet familiar appearance.

23 September 2008

Acura 2+1 Concept

Acura’s new design language, as seen on the 2009 Acura TL, is fronted by a shield-like appendage that has received mixed reviews. The Acura 2+1 — the numbers describe the seating arrangement — by design student Leon Paz is what would happen if you took the shield theme to one natural conclusion. By maintaining the edge throughout the concept’s “modern baroque styling,” Paz has come up we something we kinda dig.

The body is fashioned from a plastic that is harder than fiberglass, and Paz has done a great job in creating lines that evoke skin stretched over a frame. The upper surface is one continuous window that shows off the twin-turbo V6 and the Acura logo for the cylinder covers. There is no hood — at your yearly service, the dealer would lift the glass and perform any engine maintenance.

Fiat 500 Special Edition by DIESEL

Fiat has announced a special edition of the Fiat 500, themed ‘Urban Survival Vehicle’, the car is modified by the Italian clothing company DIESEL. The trendy Fiat will be available in three new colors, olive green, black and brown and will feature aluminum trim on the bumpers, protective door strips and yellow brake calipers, while the interior has special denim upholstery and the DIESEL logo on the dashboard and the gear knob. The Fiat 500 DIESEL edition will be available with three engines and will be priced at €15,000 for the 69 hp 1.2 liter petrol engine and €17,000 for the 100 hp 1.4 liter petrol and the 75 hp 1.3 Multijet diesel.

Ferrari California

Though the Ferrari California is scheduled to make its official debut at next week’s Paris Motor Show, the Italian company decided to sell the first unit at a charity auction held in Maranello, Italy and in Santa Monica, California. The winning bid was £282,000 (around $520,000) and the money will go to the After Schools All Stars foundation, which helps under-privileged school children and which was represented by Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Governor. The actual price of this car will be half of what it was paid for this first unit.

BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid Concept

After Mercedes announced the S400 BlueHybrid, BMW announced that the Paris Motor Show will mark the debut of the BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid Concept. The car is powered by a combination of an eight-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor developing 15 kW/20 hp and maximum torque of 210 Newton-metres/155 lb-ft as a mild hybrid concept. Electric power is generated by a particularly powerful variant of Brake Energy Regeneration already featured in BMW’s regular production cars. This allows the hybrid 7 Series to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 15 percent. Of course, the concept gets all the luxurious features from its regular gasoline powered brother. After the Paris debut, BMW hopes to get the car into production starting with 2009

Lancia Ypsilon Versus Special Edition

The Lancia Ypsilon Versus is a special edition created by Lancia and Versus, a member of the Versace Group. The car, which will debut at next week’s Paris Motor Show, is painted in a Bronzino Bronze color with ‘Versus’ logo on the roof, bronze 16″ alloy rims and a bronze chrome touches for the front grille, door handles and bumpers. On the interior, as you’d expect, the Ypsilon Versus features a brown leather upholstery with a heat printed Versus logo.

After its Paris debut, the car will be available in a limited run of 500 units, starting next March.

19 September 2008

Volvo XC60

Volvo XC60 is the first car to feature a specially developed City Safety package that helps a driver to avoid low-speed, front-end shunts and it will be a standard feature on all XC60s sold in Australia starting with February 2009, and is likely to trickle through into other models in the Volvo range.If the difference in speeds between two vehicles is less than 15km/h, a crash can be avoided. If the difference in speeds is greater than 15km/h, the XC60’s system will minimize the impact.

The All New Honda City

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (HATC), Honda's automobile production and sales subsidiary in Thailand, today began sales of the all-new CITY.The design of the new CITY is based on the total pursuit of a compact, yet dynamic form with road presence. In addition, class-leading*1 interior space was achieved to create a cabin that surrounds the occupants with an open and secure feeling. The new CITY is equipped with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine, which is further advanced in every way, including greater output and fuel consumption. Furthermore, with Honda's unique commitment to provide both advanced safety and environmental performance, the new CITY achieves the highest levels in every area in the effort to become the new bench mark for subcompact sedans.

Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept

At next month’s Paris Motor Show, GM’s Swedish arm will present the Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept. The design study is meant to give us a preview of how a possible Saab hybrid cabrio might look like. The most interesting part of the concept is its Canopy Top and the wraparound glasshouse that includes the rear screen. The four passenger cabrio is shares its powertrain with the 9-X BioHybrid, being powered by a 1.4-liter Saab BioPower engine that combines engine rightsizing with turbocharging, the use of E85 bioethanol fuel and hybrid technology.

2009 Pontiac G3

After unveiling the new Volt a few days ago, today they released details on another new car for the United States, the 2009 Pontiac G3. Basically a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Aveo, the G3 will be powered by the 106 hp (79 kW) 1.6 liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission.

The 2009 Pontiac G3 will be available in the US starting with spring 2009 as a 2009 model and will be backed by GM’s five-year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

18 September 2008

Mercedes Benz S400 BlueHYBRID

Mercedes has announced the company’s first hybrid vehicle, the Mercedes Benz S400 BlueHYBRID, which will be launched in the summer of 2009. The luxury saloon is powered by a combination of a modified 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine that delivers 279 hp (205 kW) and a compact hybrid module featuring an electric motor that generates 15 kW/20 hp and a starting torque of 160 Nm. The combined output is 220 kW/299 hp, while the combined maximum torque is 385 Nm. A major new feature of the S400 will be a particularly efficient lithium-ion battery specially developed for automotive use and available for the first time on a series-production model.

According to Mercedes, the S 400 BlueHYBRID will be the world’s most economical luxury saloon with a fuel consumption of only 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres (around 30 mpg), while CO2 emissions are kept at 190 g/km.

Chevrolet Volt Newest Features

At yesterday’s unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt, Bob Lutz announced what it seems to be one of the coolest features of the new plug-in hybrid. According to GM’s Vice Chairman, the Volt will use the GPS to figure out how far away home is and and it will adjust the system to only run the gas engine long enough to give you enough charge to get you home where you can actually plug it into the wall outlet.

Modified GLK for SEMA

This year, to market Mercedes' GLK SUV that will go on sale in the United States in January, Mercedes has announced that it will bring four modified versions of the mid-sized SUV for the Las Vegas SEMA Show.The four companies that are ‘responsible’ for this creation are Brabus, RennTech, Boulevard Customs and Legendary Motor Cars.

The Brabus Widestar is based on the GLK300 Bluetec and it features wide front and rear wheel arches and bumpers, Brabus wheels and a completely customized interior. The RennTech Rally Racer GLK concept is built on a hybrid powertrain and was inspired by the unlimited-class rally cars at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. Despite the long name, this is the most stylish one, if you ask us.

The Boulevard Customs ‘Urban Whip’ seems to be especially built for P.Diddy or Pharrell, because it features a wide-body styling kit, 26-inch wheels and a new interior with a customized stereo system.

By far the most extreme model is the Legendary Motor Cars’ ‘Four Corners Rock Crawler’, which, besides the obvious mods (huge wheels and tires, two-tone color, four lights on the hood, front rollbar) also includes a winching system for extreme sports enthusiasts.

16 September 2008

Honda Jazz/Fit tunning by INGS+1

Honda’s attempt at the small city car market the Fit, in America, or Jazz in Europe and other countries, is a pretty nifty car, quite suitable for a modern city with its design. But tuners saw quite a bit of potential in the little car, the guys at Mugen already made quite an interesting project with the city car, so did the guys at INGS+1, who thought it needed some more agressiveness, and created this tuning kit for the owners that want their Honda to stand out from all the other cars.

The kit consists of a standard bodykit, formed of a front bumper, side skirts and rear bumper, priced at $1640, and as additions, a rear wing, at $470 and for that little something different, an aero carbon fiber hood, for a hefty $960. As a finishing touch, they also offer 17-inch wheels wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza tires.

Peugeot Prologue Hybrid Concept

Peugeot has announced the Prologue, that will probably make its debut at next month’s Paris Motor Show. We say that because the French carmaker was pretty tight with details in the press release. All they say is that the concept is built on a hybrid powertrain, that delivers 200 hp (147 kW) and 109 g/km CO2 emissions in the combined cycle and zero in electric only mode.

Citroen C3 Picasso

Citroen C3 Picasso will make its debut next month at the Paris Motor Show. This small MPV is 4.08 meters long. 1.73 m wide and 1.62 m tall. The interior space is optimized through Citroen's modular design, with split-folding rear seats that slide back and forth independently.

The Citroen C3 Picasso will be available with four engines, two petrol and two diesels. The Vtipetrol units, developed in cooperation with BMW, develop 95 and 120 hp ( latter complying with future Euro 5 pollution standards), while two diesel unit, a 90 hp HDi and a 110 HDi DPFS achieve CO2 emissions of 125 g/km and 130 g/km.

The New Audi A1

Watch out Mini, here comes the Audi A1. Introduced as concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 5 door concept stage, a model which is more to the actual production model will set to hit the market in late 2009, or early 2010. Rumours are also reporting that the car will be front wheel drive versions, as well as all wheel drive ones, probably using Audi's proprietary Quattro technology. There is also an expectation for the top of the range model, S1, which will be powered by one of the latest TSI engines from the VW Group.

Mazda Kiyora Concept

Once again, the Paris Motor Show will mark the world debut of the Mazda's latest concept car, the Mazda Kiyora. The name Kiyora is mean "clean and pure" in Japanese. The car is a lightweight urban compact concept car based on Mazda's 'Zoom-Zoom' vision. Kiyora is powered by a four-cylinder direct-injection engine contribute to excellent fuel economy and low CO2 emissions. The new Mazda Kiyora concept car is based on an all-new platform designed to minimize weight and maximize safety and it also features an innovative interior design with new functions.

Citroen Hypnos Crossover Concept

The Paris show is getting closer and news about new cars that will debut in France are all over the place. One of the new cars that will make its first appearance will be the Citroen Hypnos crossover concept. The Hypnos will be built on a hybrid platform. Citroen says that Hypnos wil be powered by a 200 hp engine that will be able to get 52.3 mpg (4.5 liters/100 km), while CO2 emissions will be just 120 g/km.

Renault Ondelios Concept

After Renault announcing the New Renault Megane, now they've released another premiere, the Renault Ondelios. The Ondelios is Renault's interpretation of a high-end crossover. The first thing that stand out is the alumunium-finish grille flanked by headlamps units with LED headlights, the butterfly-type side doors and the boomerang shaped tail lights.

The Ondelios is made to be a luxury car, it's offer all the passengers their own Samsung interactive portable multimedia devices which they can use for sharing data or multimedia gaming, speaker incorporated into the headrests and a multizone HVAC system enables each passenger to set the temperature to his or her own liking. The dashboard has an active display skins showing driver aid and ride information, monitor at the base of the windscreen displays the different menus and pictures from the door mirror cameras, three large strip displays provide driving-related information, and a digital speedometer.

The Renault Ondelios is built on a hybrid powertrain, which combines a 205hp (150kW) 2.0 dCi engine, with two 20kW electric motors at the front and rear, mated to a seven-speed, double-clutch gearbox and can goes from 0 - 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds, while keeping fuel consumption at 4.5 litres/100km (52.2 US mpg) and CO2 emissions at 120g/km. They operate in mild hybrid mode, giving the engine extra boost as required and use a brake and boost system, recovering energy during braking then delivering it to the engine to boost acceleration.

12 September 2008

The New Renault Megane

Renault has finally make the official announcement of the new Renault Megane. The car's design follows the Laguna III's styling. Thought the car is larger than the current one, it's 8 kgs lighter. Renault will also offer the car with a range of petrol and diesel engines. Petrol engine will include the 1.6 16V engine with available output from 100 and 110 hp, the 2.0 liter with 140 hp and the 180 hp TCe, while diesel powerplants range from 85 to 150 hp. Renault will offer five or six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, and tried to adding biofuel-compatible engines (bioethanol and biodiesel).

At the interior section, new Megane has been equipped with a combined analoque/digital instruments incorporating a new, easier to read colour-coded cruise control/speed limiter interface, hands-free entry and ignition, automatic locking as the driver walks away from the car, a Carminat Bluetooth® DVD navigation system and a custom-developed audio system (3D Sound by Arkamys).

The new Renault Megane will go on sale in November 2008 and by 2010, the Megane family will include six different models.

Fuel Efficient Diesel Version of the C30, S40, and V50 by Volvo

Volvo has announced that they will make a new economical versions of the C30, S40, and V50 models. Based on the Volvo C30 Efficiency concept, te new DRIVe diesel models achieve a 4.4 litres/100 km fuel consumption for the C30 and 4.5 litres/100 km for the S40 and V50, while CO2 at 115 and 118 g/km. Great cars

Audi Q7 V12 TDI

This is the Audi's latest product, the Audi Q7 V12 TDI. Maybe the V12 engines aren't something new, but this is the first time a 12-cylinder diesel is presented on a passenger car. The 6.0 liter engine makes 500 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, it also has a six-speed triptonic transmission. With that specs, the car has some really impressive numbers: 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h and 11.3 liters/100 km average fuel consumption. That sounds pretty good, considering the car's size and performances.

22 August 2008

The new Audi Q5 tunning by ABT

German tuner, ABT, are ready with a tuning program for the latest crossover from Audi, the new Audi Q5. The packages features a bodykit including fender extensions and more aggresive front skirt and grille, restyled side skirt, roof spoiler and rear skirt incorporating a 4-pipe-rear muffler, and also new 20 inch alloys. The upgrade from handling sector include ABT Level Control, new aport springs that decrease th cars's ride height and a new set of 380mm diameter brake discs.

For the engines, there's also a power upgrade kit : the 2.0 TFSI's power output has been increased to 240 hp (211 hp on the factory version), the 2.0 TDI to 190 hp (170 hp) and for the 3.0 TDI there are two levels of power upgrades, the ABT power which increases the power output from 240 hp to 282 hp and the ABT power S which takes to 310 hp.

21 August 2008

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

The Japanese company, Mitsubishi, will unveil its new car Mitsubishi Pajero Sport at Moscow Motor Show. The SUV is larger then its predecessor. The Pajero Sport will use a 3.2 liter turbodiesel engine that develops 162 hp and 343 Nm of torque. But, it's possible that a 2.5 liter turbodiesel and a 3.5 liter V6 could also join the range. The car will be equipped with Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD system and buyers will be able to choose between a 4-speed Sport Mode automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox.

2009 Honda Civic Facelift

Honda announcedthe 2009 Honda Civec Facelift, which is redesign exterior styling features, including a new front bumper cover and grille design and new headlight and taillight color combinations. There are also new alloy wheel designs for the Civic EX, Civic EX-L and Civic Si models. Interior enhancements include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink added to Navigation equipped model, USB Audio Interface added to Civic EX, EX-L, Hybrid and Si models, leather-trimmed seating surfaces with heated front seats and side mirror for the Civic Hybrid and new cloth materials and patterns on seats, door lining and armrests. Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), is now standard on the Civic EX-L and Civic Hybrid

Volkswagen Passat CC Gold Coast

Volkswagen has presented the VW Passat CC Gold Coast. This special edition car is powered by the 3.6 liter FSI petrol engine that produces 280 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque, with a six-speed DSG dual-clutch triptonic geabox. Passat CC Gold Coast features a special grille, premium tri-coat paint finish with a mix of gold, brown and silver tones, new spoiler and also 19 inch propeller style wheels.

The standard Passat CC will on sale in the fourth quarter of 2008, so the Gold Coast will probably be available at the same time. there's no information about the pricing, but the standard C will be priced at around $28,000.

20 August 2008

The New 2009 Peugeot 407

The 2009 Peugeot 407 will make its debut in September with a starting price of £17,295. Peugeot 407 features a subtle redesign for the front grille and air intake, new rear bumper and body-colored rubbing strips, door mirrors and door handles. A new 2.0 litre 'Bioflex' engine will be fitted in this car, this engine operates on E85 fuel ( available from November ). Beside that, there's a minor upgrade for the 2.0 litre HDi, which now produces 140 hp, 4 hp bigger than the current one.

The new Peugeot 407 will be available in four equipment levels : S, SR, SE and GT. And also several exterior colors such as Moondust, Thorium Grey, Abyss Blue, Moroccan Red and Hurricane Grey.

19 October 2008

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