broken hearted girl: new cars

Showing posts with label new cars. Show all posts

Friday, September 23, 2011

First Drive: New Peugeot 508 GT 2.2-liter HDi Sedan

It’s been a long time since Peugeot had a serious contender in the hotly contested sub-premium segment. The 407 was unloved and lacking in style; a “307 with a boot” purchased exclusively by the brand faithful. It was a bit bland and outdated compared to its major European competitor: the Mk 4 Ford Mondeo.

With the 508, Peugeot hopes to change all that. A carbon copy of the Peugeot 5 Concept that premiered at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the 2011 Peugeot 508 puts the verve – that oh-so-important French flair – back into Peugeot’s line-up.

We take the wheel of Peugeot’s flagship, AU$52,990 508 GT with a 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel and a 6-speed automatic for a week-long road test and review.

As with any new BMW, the latest V8-powered M5 F10 comes packed with an array of gadgets and gimmicky features, some of which you may like, some of which you may not.

One of the sports saloon's new features that may dismay purists is the Active Sound Design. To explain, this system is designed to –according to BMW- "accurately replicate" the sounds of the bi-turbocharged V8 engines inside the cabin through the vehicle's audio system.

The top-of-the-line Mondeo editions Titanium and Titanium S, which are powered by Ford's 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine, will soon be available with a six-speed manual gearbox in addition to the dual-clutch PowerShift transmission. Read more »

Perodua Joins Forces with Wolfrace to Create Limited Run Special for the UK

Malaysia's second largest automobile manufacturer after Proton, the PERusahaan Otomobil KeDUA Sendirian Berhad company, which is more widely know by its abbreviation Perodua, has joinced forces with UK tuning house Wolfrace for the development of the Myvi Wolfrace Design Concept that will soon enter a limited production run. Read more »

Thursday, September 22, 2011

New BMW M5 F10 in an Individual Frozen Black Hue: What do You Think?

Ever since BMW first showed the new M5 sports saloon earlier in the summer, and sans a white example that appeared at the firm's Frankfurt Motors show stand, the Bavarians have been constantly tossing around press pictures of the car in the Monte Carlo racing blue hue.

Cool as it may be at first, over time and after a gazillion or so images of the M5 F10 in the same Monte Carlo color, we think we've just about had enough.

But fear not, the Bavarian-loving guys from 5Post have obtained new photos of the V8-powered sports sedan finished in an Individual Frozen Black hue.

Unless you are a supercar lover or a Mercedes-Benz aficionado, we will understand if you are tired of reading about the SLS AMG. After all, most carmakers produce one or two versions of their supercars - usually a coupe and an open top model, plus a couple (or more in the case of Lamborghini), limited editions. Read more »

Nissan Introduces 2012 Juke with Improved Fuel Economy in Europe

Nissan continues to fine-tune its Juke small crossover, which has received some mechanical tweaks in Europe that promise to further reduce emissions and lift fuel economy.

The Japanese company says both the 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre dCi diesel drivetrains have undergone an optimisation programme that includes revised gear ratios for the manual transmission models.

Ad Watch: Unboxing of a 2012 Toyota Yaris

If you're a gadget freak, then you're probably no stranger to "unboxing" videos made to showcase a variety of products and which are posted throughout the internet.

Toyota takes the same idea to a different level by applying the concept to a new commercial for its recently launched 2012 Yaris supermini, starring Gizmodo's Adam Frucci.

Those interested may watch the spot in the video after the jump.

Michigan outlaws beware: State Police is getting ready to add another weapon in its armory, or rather two: the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Sedan and the Explorer Police Interceptor Utility, which today passed the two-day State Police tests and are ready to enter service.

Although the Taurus Interceptor was tested just as thoroughly, it was the Explorer SUV Utility version that received most of the attention.

After traveling all around the world in concept format, the new 2012 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck has entered the final testing phase in Thailand before the introduction of the production model that will go on sale towards the end of the year.

Today, General Motors released some new photos showing the prototype models being put through their paces as the company prepares to produce the midsize pickup in its Rayong assembly plant in Thailand.

Last Monday, Tennessee Arts Commission Chairwoman Ellen Hays received her new car. So what’s the big deal, we hear some of you ask? Thousands of people do the exact same thing every day.

What makes Ms. Hays case special is the fact that, although she wasn’t the first in the country (this distinction belongs to a man in San Jose, California), she was the first local to receive a new Passat built at VW’s newly constructed US Chattanooga plant.

After Toyota's U.S. arm came out with pricing details on the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid, the firm's British division is next in line to inform buyers what they're going to pay for the car when it goes on sale in Britain in the first half of 2012.

However, instead of giving a exact price tag, Toyota UK said the plug-in version of the Prius will "cost less than £31,000" before any government incentives, which can reduce the price to customer by up to £5,000, or under £26,000.

Daihatsu Presents New Fuel-Efficient Mira e:S in Japan

Toyota's daughter brand of small vehicles, Daihatsu, has launched a new version of its Mira kei car called e:S incorporating a raft of new or revised technologies, all of which aim to improve fuel efficiency.

Daihatsu says that it has overhauled all existing aspects of the engine, the transmission, and the body structure, to make the most of energy efficiency and as a result, says that the Mira e:S is almost 40 percent more fuel efficient that current mini cars with engine displacements of up to 660 cc [0.6-liter].

To demonstrate how important size is when it comes to parking in modern day cities, Volkswagen launched a new guerilla campaign for its new Up! city car right outside the Frankfurt Motor Show hall.

In the early hours of the morning, the German company's marketing team covered a line of cars in textiles featuring a life-size print of the new Up!.

You can watch the video right after the break.

Brand revivals are not very common, but they are not a novelty either. For example, BMW did it with the Mini with considerable success, while Mercedes-Benz was also able to resurrect Maybach with… err…let's just say unsatisfactory results.

Now Healey Sports Cars Switzerland [HSCS], which owns the brand rights to Jensen Motors will re-launch the company with a spanking new car next year.

First announced this summer, the BMW 650i is now available for order in the States with the option of the xDrive all-wheel drive system on both the Coupe and Convertible body styles.

The xDrive system will cost buyers an additional $3,000 lifting the MSRP of the 650i Coupe from $83,000 to $86,000, and the 650i Convertible from $90,500 to $93,500.

On August 23, the new Infiniti M35h sped into the Guinness Book of Records as the world's fastest accelerating full hybrid model.

The record-breaking feat took place at UK’s Santa Pod drag strip, with the 364HP luxury sedan, driven by CAR magazine journalist Tim Pollard, setting an average 0-400 m (quarter-mile) time of 13.9031 seconds and a passing speed of over 160 km/h (100 mph).

IAA 2011: The CLS-Based Rocket 800 By Brabus

Mercedes-Benz specialist Brabus has a thing about building insanely fast cars. Now, half a decade after the presentation of what was then billed as the fastest saloon in the world, the limited run Brabus Rocket based on the first generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the German company returns to Frankfurt with a vengeance presenting a new ludicrous proposal.The successor to the original Rocket is built around the second generation of the CLS sports saloon with power coming from a heavily modified Mercedes-Benz-sourced V12 bi-turbocharged engine.
The German firm's engineers increased the displacement from 5.5-liters to 6.3-liters and made a host of other upgrades including, but not limited to, a reworked intake, newly configured on-board electronics system and redesigned high-performance turbochargers.
As a result, output is lifted to 800-horses at 5,500 rpm and an enormous peak torque of 1,420Nm (1,047 lb-ft), available from just 2,100 rpm, but limited electronically in the car to 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft).
A modified seven-speed quick-shift automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles along with a limited slip differential handle the transfer of power to the rear wheels.
Brabus says that the Rocket 800 can reach speeds in excess of 370 km/h (230 mph), making it the world’s fastest street-legal sedan.
And if that's not enough to impress you, the Rocket 800 goes from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 9.8 seconds and 300 km/h (186 mph) in 23.8 seconds!
The German company also extensively modified the car's aerodynamic properties, suspension and brakes.
On the outside, the CLS gains a wide-body aero kit that includes carbon-fiber fender flares on the rear axle that add 40 millimeters (1.6-in.) to the car's width, front and rear spoilers, a diffuser and more.
The Rocket 800 rides on 19-inch one-piece BRABUS Monoblock F wheels wrapped around tires in size 255/35 ZR19 up front and 285/30 ZR 19 in the rear.
Finally, interior improvements include a bespoke steering wheel, aluminum trim, custom upholstery and a revised instrument panel with a 400km/h (250mph) speedometer.

PHOTO GALLERY

IAA 2011: Lotus Exige S with 350HP V6 & Rally-Spec Exige R-GT

Among the many world premieres at the Lotus stand in Frankfurt is the new Exige series and more specifically, the street-legal Exige S, and the competition Exige GT with which the British company plans to make its comeback to the world of rallying.The road-going Exige S somewhat deviates from Lotus' philosophy of making ultra-lightweight sports cars with small displacement engines as it brings in the Evora S' 3.5-liter supercharged V6 that produces 350-ponies.
While the new Exige S boasts an impressive 130HP increase over the previous model, it is also 145kg (310 pounds) heavier at 1,080kg (2,381 lbs).
The Exige S is fitted with high-performance Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires as standard and comes equipped with a Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) switch that allows the driver to change between three driving modes: Touring, Sport and DPM off.
As an option, Lotus offers the Race Pack that adds a fourth driving mode setting along with a Launch Control and a more hardcore suspension tuning.
Commenting on the Exige S, Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar said: “Anyone who has ever driven an Exige will tell you that it’s not for the faint-hearted. The new Exige S skips a few rungs on the ladder to give the driver the ultimate Lotus experience. Quite simply you can’t get more Lotus than the Exige S.”
Joining the Exige S is the R-GT competition model that ill participate in the newly formed FIA GT category of the FIA Rally Championship on asphalt in Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo.
The R-GT sports the V6 3.5-litre engine as the new road Exige S, but features changes to the gearbox and the restrictors on the engine in order to control the power.
“With the new R-GT rules in rally, it’s a very interesting time for us to return to the sport," said Lotus’ Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro.
"Naturally our approach this time around will be different to when we won the championship three decades ago, but I think our philosophy is definitely the same, we want to compete and ultimately we want to win. Our new rally car, the Exige R-GT is a dream come true for those who are passionate about GT racing – this will be their car,” Berro added.

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IAA 2011: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4

We were hoping to see a replacement for the Gallardo supercar in Frankfurt but instead, Lamborghini showed us yet another limited edition version of its entry-level model.Billed as the most extreme Gallardo ever, the new LP 570-4 Super Trofeo is loosely based on the race car from the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo and will be produced in a limited run of 150 units.
The Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale has undergone a diet and lost 70kg (154 lbs) over the standard model tipping the scales at 1340kg (2,954 pounds).
Power comes from the same V10 powerplant found in the Superleggera as well as the Blancpain Super Trofeo racer, developing 570-horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 540Nm at 6,500 rpm (398.2 lb-ft). A robotized e-gear six-speed transmission controlled by steering wheel paddles transfers power to all four wheels.
It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 3.4 seconds and reaches 200 km/h (124mph) 10.4 seconds later while it finally tops out at 320 Km/h (199mph).
On the outside, the Super Trofeo Stradale sports a contrasting matte black finish on certain details such as the front spoiler and rear wing while it rides on ultra-lightweight 19-inch wheels that save some 13kg (29 pounds).
The rocker panel covers, rear diffuser and outside mirror housings are made of carbon fiber polished to a high gloss, while the brake calipers are accented in red, first for Lamborghini.
The two-tone theme continues in the cabin that is dressed in Alcantara and carbon fiber trims.
Lamborghini also offers an extensive list of options that will satisfy both the hardcore aficionados with carbon-fiber ceramic brake discs, a tubular interior roll cage, 4-point safety belts and fire extinguisher, as well as the casual buyer with a satellite navigation, with Bluetooth connection for mobile phones, an anti-theft system, and a lifting system that raises the front axle.

PHOTO GALLERY