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| Lamborghini to get back into motorsport Posted: 19 Aug 2008 07:09 AM CDT The guys from Garage 419 weent at this weekend’s Pebble Beach event and managed to get an interview from the Lamborghini CEO, Mr. Stefan Winkelmann. It’s a very interesting video and I suggest you watch it. We find out that so far Lamborghini has no plans on releasing a Superleggera version of the Gallardo LP560-4 or a two-wheel drive version. However, what’s really interesting is that Mr. Winkelmann confirms that the Italian company is currently thinking about getting back into motorsport. See the video for more. Via eGMCarTech  | ||||
| 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI available in the US Posted: 19 Aug 2008 06:46 AM CDT  Volkswagen USA announced yesterday that the new VW Jetta TDI is now available for customer delivery. With the recent US recession, the Jetta diesel is one of the most anticipated cars in the States. "We're proud to be the first manufacturer to offer a clean diesel vehicle for sale in all fifty states," said Stefan Jacoby, CEO/President, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We believe our Jetta TDI's truly offer a no compromise alternative fuel driving experience, that provides the customer the best of both worlds-excellent fuel efficiency combined with a dynamic driving experience." According to the EPA, the Jetta TDI has an estimated fuel economy of 29 mpg (city) and 40 mpg (highway). But in other tests made by third-party certifier, AMCI, the car performed 24 percent better in real world conditions, achieving 38 mpg in the City and 44 mpg on the Highway. The Jetta TDI's come standard with Volkswagen's Prevent and Preserve Safety System, consisting of numerous standard safety features. Jetta TDI's include six airbags, with optional rear side airbags, and like all 2009 model year Volkswagens, Jetta TDI's also feature standard Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) for added safety. Also standard for 2009 is Volkswagen's carefree maintenance program, with this program there are no charges for the scheduled maintenance described in the vehicle's maintenance booklet for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty-three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sedan and SportWagen have a starting price tag of $21,990 and $23,590, respectively and benefit from a $1300 Federal Income Tax Credit.  | ||||
| Possible preview of the new Mercedes Benz E Class ? Posted: 19 Aug 2008 06:09 AM CDT  The latest number of german auto magazine AutoBild has a very interesting front page article regarding the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, showing it the first time without camouflage. The pictures show quite a different car as oppose to the current generation. The front side stands out with the new angular head lights, which replace the old round ones, to create a more edgier and agresive look. On the rear, we find new rear lights which split between the trunk lid and sides of the car, and, in my oppinion, remind me of the BMW 3-series rear lights. The boxy angular theme is found also in the interior, which according to Mercedes, is supposed to remind clients of the 80’s era cars. The new Mercedes Benz E-Class is set to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year. Until then, enjoy more scans after the jump.   Source: CarScoop  | ||||
| Fifth Gear Season 14 Episode 2 Posted: 19 Aug 2008 05:57 AM CDT  The second episode of Fifth Gear aired yesterday in the UK, providing some very interesting test drives, challenges and features. The show kicked off with the first versus race in this season, pitting two small japanese coupes, the Mazda RX8 and the Nissan 350Z. An interesting race, won by Nissan’s superior power, developing 309 bhp as the Mazda’s 228 bhp, this reflecting in the times, but also in the 350Z’s bigger price tag. Next up, quite a shocking report by Tim Shaw, about the fact that you, unless you’re a qualified and experienced mechanic, can’t really change the light bulb on a Renault Megane. Due to its almost impossible means of accessing the head lamp, it took an experienced mechanic almost 45 minutes (!), time in which Tim changed the light bulb on a VW Golf V (in one minute) and did a complete service to it. So pretty bad news for Megane owners, authorized services charging quite a lot for changing those bulbs. On the next feature, Vicky Butler spent a day with British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, and not an ordinary day, the one before the Silverstone Grand Prix, which he won if you remember correct. This material only showed us what an important person he is in the UK, the pride of that country, and the gold mine for his sponsors, who never miss a chance to promote him, and subsequently, their products. A recent statistic showed that british people spend almost £25 a week on alcoholic drinks. So Jonny Smith decided to find out what cars can be bought if people just stopped drinking and save up the money. This lead to some quite interesting offers, like a BMW M5, for those who like vintage and powerful cars, a Ford Street Ka, for those who like more modern cars, or a mark 1 Mazda MX5, as a cheap yet sturdy convertible car. Next up, Jason Plato took Porsche’s brand new creation, the GT2 for a drive on the circuit. Being the most powerful Porsche ever made, the GT2 really had to live up to its claims, and, of course, to its nickname, the Widowmaker, because all the modifications made by the german engineers, like making it lighter, more powerful, and rear-wheel drive, made it quite a dangerous car for the unexperienced drivers. The car really showed off it’s handling and power, and because it is the most green-est car in the Porsche line-up, Fifth Gear recommends it for all those eco-friendly drivers :). Tom Ford followed, by driving the new Mercedes SL 63 AMG, and putting it through it’s paces on normal roads. Although it impressed with its handling and suspension, the engine felt like it lacked power in the low rev range, forcing the driver to push it to its limits, to benefit from the power that the big 6.2 litre V8 developed, “not like a Mercedes should do” in the oppinion of the presenter. The last part of the show hosted a crash test of convertible cars, but not those like you see at EuroNCAP, Fifth Gear wanting to test the cars in the case of a rollover. The new cars all have a lot of safety equipments to make sure its passengers are protected with or without the top down, so the team decided to take an old Peugeot 306 CC and roll it over to see how it protects it’s passengers. The results weren’t good, the side pillars which are now made from titanium or duraluminium, were immediately crashed and the passengers had no chance of surviving. All in all, quite an entertaining show, worth your watch.  | ||||
| Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport debuts at Pebble Beach Posted: 18 Aug 2008 11:44 AM CDT  One of the highlights of this weekend’s event at Pebble Beach was the debut of the new Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, the convertible version of the Veyron. The Grand Sport features slightly higher windscreen, stylized daytime running lights, and lightweight, transparent polycarbonate roof. As you’d expect in a high-performance car, the main challenge resulted from the unique structure of the fixed-roof Bugatti Veyron. As the roof is an integral part of this, removing it meant the load paths had to be completely redesigned to maintain the vehicle's rigidity and crash safety, and to offer additional protection from side impacts and rolling. As a result, the monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing than any other roadster. The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fibre, and house an integrated longitudinal beam. In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine now feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection should the car roll. When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 360 km/h are possible with roof off. In case rain starts, a folding roof stored in the luggage compartment can be opened up like an umbrella at any time. When this folding roof is in place, the car can travel at up to 130 km/h. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be available from March 2009 at the price of 1.4 million euros (excluding tax). Just 150 examples will be made, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers, while this first unit will go to the highest bidder at the Pebble Beach charity auction presented by Gooding & Company. Check out a full photo gallery after the jump. Photo Gallery: Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport
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| Wolf tuning program for the new Ford Kuga Posted: 18 Aug 2008 11:05 AM CDT  This is one of the first tuning programs for the new Ford Kuga and, to be honest, I’m a little surprised, because the car looks very good and I was expecting more tuners turning their attention to Ford’s crossover. Anyways, the program from Wolf include a power upgrade from 136 hp and 320 Nm to 158 hp and 375 Nm (795 Euros), a set of 20 inch Wolf Race alloy wheels (2,850 Euros), Wolf sport springs kit that lowers the car by 40 mm (199 Euros). The complete Wolf styling programme can be directly ordered from Wolf Racing, Neuenstein or from your local Ford dealer. Check out more photos after the jump. Photo Gallery: Ford Kuga tuning by Wolf
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| Posted: 18 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT  It seems that tuning companies really love the Audi RS6 Avant. After we saw 702 hp tuning package from MTM, this time we have a more powerful upgrade, from German tuner B&B. Fitted with a special race exhaust system, high performance racing catalyst, remapped ECU, high-flow intake and uprated cooling system, the 5.0 liter V10 engine develops an amazing 715hp (533kW), which mean that the car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). B&B offers severatl levels of performance, 650hp (485kW), 670hp (500kW) and 700hp (522kW) respectively and of course, the top specs 715 hp. All versions come with stiffer sport springs that lowers the car by up to 25mm and a set of 21 inch forged alloy wheels.  | ||||
| The new Renault Symbol/Thalia unveiled Posted: 18 Aug 2008 09:23 AM CDT  Today, the French manufacturer announced the new Renault Symbol, which will make its world debut at the Moscow Motor Show which starts on August 26. Targeted towards markets like Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey and the Maghreb countries, the car is 4.26 meters long and 1.43 m high and it follows the new Clio’s design with robust lines and chrome trimming for the grille and the rear panel. To be honest, I didn’t like the old one and I certainly don’t like this one. Renault claims that the new Symbol will provide “generous boot space which is as ideally suited to professional use as it is to a weekend in the country”. Unde the hood, the car will be offered with a range of petrol and diesel engines (probably the same ones from the Clio II, which also shares the suspension with the Symbol). That’s about all the details we’ve got so far, but Renault will make full specs available after the Moscow debut. More photos after the jump.
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| Lexus Nuaero Concept by Jon Rådbrink Posted: 18 Aug 2008 08:58 AM CDT  The crazy concept you see in these photos represent the Lexus Nuaero, created by Swedish student Jon Rådbrink. The design represents his final project at the Vehicle Design Dept. at the Royal College of Art and “proposes a new design language to communicate ecological efficiency through an architecture inspired by aerodynamics”. The Nuaero concept features a flowing catamaran underbody (made possible by in-wheel motors and hub-center steering) that ends in a massive venturi tunnel between the rear wheels. A super low-drag body is achieved by using an airfoil (wing profile) center, that blends between the nearly flat rearward tapered sides. To smoothly guide the air around the cabin, the angle of attack of the airfoil is optimized for efficiency while creating negative lift. “I've been looking at different basic principles and ideas about aerodynamic efficiency and then combined them into a unique vehicle architecture. Usually aerodynamics is a final stage in car design, so this project kind of started where most projects finish” Jon said. The final design features a flowing catamaran underbody - made possible by in-wheel motors and hub-center steering - that ends in a massive venturi tunnel between the rear wheels. A super low-drag body is achieved by using an airfoil (wing profile) center, that blends between the nearly flat rearward tapered sides. To smoothly guide the air around the cabin, the angle of attack of the airfoil is optimized for efficiency while creating negative lift. The Lexus Nuaero has the dimensional impact of a luxury car, with an overall length of 4730 mm and a wheelbase of 3300 mm. The width is 1999 mm and the height is 1245 mm. But, in spite of its large presence, the approximated weight of just over 800 kg is not far from that of a SMART fortwo. Check out one more photo and a cool video of the concept after the jump.  Jon Rådbrink (Via Gizmodo)  |
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