Auto Unleashed |
| Almost 9,000 Jaguar XF’s recalled for seat belt problems Posted: 29 Aug 2008 07:54 AM CDT  I’m sure that’s not good news for the recent lucky Jaguar XF owners. The car is only available for a short time and the first problems already started showing up. NHTSA announced that Jaguar will recall 7,918 Jaguar XF that have a flaw in the rear safety belt assembly. Although no incidents took place so far, in the event of a crash the rear seat belts might not work properly and cause injuries. Dealers will take a look at the faulty safety belt and fix it if neccessary. So, if you’re a lucky XF owner, you’d better talk to you dealer or call Jaguar at 1-800-452-4827. Source: Carscoop  | ||||||
| Full size Star Wars Landspeeder replica Posted: 29 Aug 2008 07:42 AM CDT  If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ve gotta love this. Created by Daniel Deutsch in his garage, this is a full size replica of Luke Skywalker’s famous Landspeeder. Built on a custom aluminum chassis, the car is powered by an electric motor that is able to take the car to a top speed of 25 mph and that can travel for several miles on a single battery change. Of course, this is not impressive, but who cares, the vehicle is awesome. Unfortunately, if you want it, you’ll have to built it on your own, because Daniel says that the Landspeeder is not for sale. But you can get more details here. Via Neatorama  | ||||||
| Posted: 29 Aug 2008 06:29 AM CDT  According to AutoCar, Mazda is currently really busy working on plug-in hybrid that will compete the upcoming Chevrolet Volt and, of course, the Prius. Senior sources from Mazda said that a prototype has already been developed, prototype that uses a rotary engine to charge the battery pack. A Mazda 5 MPV bodyshell is used, but so far no decisions were made, the company waiting to see if the cost of batteries cand be reduced. Efforts are being made so that the car could debut by the end of 2010 but what’s very interesting, as Wired reports, is that Ford owns an important share in Mazda, so if the project goes through, there are big chances of a Ford hybrid to be presented too. Stay tuned, because we’ll let you know once we get more details on this more and more interesting hybrid race.  | ||||||
| More details on the upcoming Audi A7 Posted: 29 Aug 2008 05:56 AM CDT  Today, Car Magazine published more details on Audi’s upcoming four-door sedan, the Audi A7. The car will be built on Audi’s next generation lightweight aluminum A6 platform and will be offered with a range of V6 engines, like the 2.8 liter FSI or the 3.0 liter turbo. Power will be transfered via six and seven speed manual, automatic and S-tronic gearboxes. Of course, Audi will also offer S7, RS7 and coupe-cabrio (rendered above) versions. The top of the line RS7 will be powered by the 5.0 liter twin-turbo V10, while the S7 will get the same engine, but delivering less power. Also, it looks like Audi is planning on offering a hybrid version. Though only rumors so far, estimated starting price will be at around $73,000. Car Magazine says that Audi will have problems with its competitors already available on the market, but I wouldn’t agree with that, because let’s take the Q7 for example. Mercedes and BMW had a SUV in the range long before Audi, but that didn’t stop the Q7 from becoming a big success for Audi. And I think the same will happen with the A7, which starts to look like a very promising car. Car Magazine (Via Autoblog)  | ||||||
| Ibiza Cupra and Ecomotive versions to debut at Paris Posted: 29 Aug 2008 05:38 AM CDT  Today Seat announced that the Ibiza range will get two new members, the Cupra and Ecomotive versions. The Ibiza Cupra will get a more sporty bodykit, with newly designed bumper, featuring the air intake vents surrounding the central grille, prominent shoulders that house the rear lights, newly designed, centrally placed trapezoid tailpipe plus 17" alloy wheels, while the interior features Cupra suspension, Cupra sports seats and aluminium pedals. Under the hood, the Cupra will get a new version of the 1.4 TSI engine which now delivers 180 hp and is mated to a seven speed DSG gearbox with steering wheel shift-paddles. The second addition to the Ibiza range will be the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive, which will be equipped with the 80 hp 1.4 TDI engine with DPF particulate filter, which keeps the CO2 emissions level at only 99 g/km and allows customers to save on registration tax. To achieve better mileage and lower emissions the Ecomotive has an improved bodykit with new closed front grille and new rear spoiler that reduce resistance and new 14" wheels with hubcaps. Both models will be manufactured at the Seat plant in Martorell near Barcelona and will debut at October’s Paris Motor Show. More photos of both cars after the jump. Photo Gallery: The new Seat Ibiza Cupra
Photo Gallery: The new Seat Ibiza Ecomotive
For more details on the cars, read the full press release here. Source: Seat  | ||||||
| Hyundai Elantras recalled for fuel pump issue Posted: 29 Aug 2008 04:59 AM CDT  Last month we reported that The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was conducting a preliminary investigation about possible problems with the Hyundai Elantra’s fuel pump. Well, it seems that they were right, because Hyundai is now recalling about 65,000 Elantras that might have some problems with the fuel pump. The recall affects 2008 Elantras powered by the 2.0 liter Beta engine. According to Hyunida, “some fuel pumps installed from Nov. 5 to June 28 may lose pumping pressure as gasoline with ethanol produces a buildup of film on the units’ electrical contacts, leading to poor starting or engine hesitation.” Source: Detroit Free Press (Via Autoblog)  | ||||||
| Chevrolet Volt caught on the Transfomers 2 set Posted: 29 Aug 2008 04:46 AM CDT  GM has tried to be very cautious with its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, which is expected to debut in 2010. Some time ago they released a couple of teaser photos, however, the mistery has now been revealed, because one of Transformers Live’s readers managed to get some photos and a video of the Volt on the set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. First, he only managed to take a photo where we can see half of the Volt, but then he got a real good look at it and took this video. So, what do you think about the car? Should Toyota fear? I think so, because if it’s as good as it looks, the Volt is definitely going to be a hit for GM. Source: Transformers Live  | ||||||
| Gorgeous concept: The Lotus Europa i6 Posted: 29 Aug 2008 04:26 AM CDT  Well one thing we sure aren’t missing these days are awesome concepts, after the Datsun 240Z by a polish designer, this time, south-african Idries Noah served us with this beautiful rendering of his Lotus Europa i6. He also said that it is a concept on a mid-engined car, rear wheel driven that wants to combine the classic Europa and Elite models with the newer cars from the English manufacturer. He also stated the supposed tehnical specs that the car would have, weighing in at around 920 kg or 2,030 lbs, it would be powered by a 2 litre supercharged inline 6 cylinder engine, capable of taking the car from 0-62 mph or 100 km/h in about 7 seconds, quite a lot in this day and age for a car that wants to aspire to the Lotus brand. Anyway, let’s hope the english designers get a glimpse at this car and grab some ideas for the next Lotus, because this is one great car. Check out one more image after the jump.  Source: CarScoop  | ||||||
| Want to drive Hummers through the Sahara? Here’s your chance Posted: 29 Aug 2008 04:22 AM CDT  The opportunity to get Hummers H3’s and drive them through a tough desert route is a true delight for those of us who are into off road driving, and GM is offering this chance to them, through the Hummer Driving Academy that will take place in Morocco from 7 to 12 November 2008. This event will be made up by 14 cars, each driven by a team of two people, pilot and co-pilot, and it’s route will have about 1300 km or 800 miles, taking it through one of the toughest deserts, the Sahara. The cost for attending this Academy is about €3.995 or $5,870 per team, and in those money are included the rights to drive the H3 and accomodation at a luxury hotel, how you get there is your problem though. The Hummers participating will not be modified radically, only survival equipment, desert tires and a GPS will be added to the regular 3.7 litre H3. This will not be the first and last event in the history of the American manufacturer, GM stating that events similar to this will continue in 2009. Source: CarScoop  | ||||||
| Audi develops free A4 racing game for iPhone Posted: 29 Aug 2008 04:17 AM CDT  Audi has created Audi A4 Driving Challenge for the iPhone. Five tracks are included, each one more difficult than the previous. The lap time and track time are displayed. The game, which renders graphics from an overhead perspective, uses the iPhone’s accelerometer for steering, with on-screen buttons to operate the gas and brake pedals. “The iPhone is an ideal platform to help introduce the entirely new Audi A4 to the public,” said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. “Audi customers are smart, sophisticated and technologically savvy. As a brand, we are committed to progress and innovation at every turn. We’re very excited to be the first automotive manufacturer to connect with our audience through the iPhone.” The 2009 Audi A4 will be available starting with September 2008. Source: Autoblog  |
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