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Friday, July 29, 2011

2012 Ford Explorer with 240HP

The new 2012 Explorer SUV will be the first Ford model in North America to be offered with the company's new 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine. But you already knew that.

What's new today is the release of the EPA fuel-economy numbers for the 4-cylinder Explorer which is rated at 20 mpg (11.8 lt/100km) in the city and 28 mpg (8.4lt/100km) on the highway. The cheaper -by around a grand- Explorer V6 with its naturally-aspirated 292HP, 3.5-liter engine returns 17mpg/city and 25mpg/highway.
Ford is quick to make a comparison with some of the Explorer's rivals saying that on the highway, it beats the 2011 Honda Pilot (a redesigned model is on its way) and Jeep Grand Cherokee by 5 mpg, Chevrolet Traverse by 4 mpg and Toyota Highlander by 3 mpg, while also boasting that it returns the same fuel efficiency as the BMW 328i sedan.
The Explorer's 2.0-liter four-banger produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm, and is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission.

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2013 Infiniti JX Crossover

There's a new piece to the puzzle that is the 2013 Infiniti JX as today, the Japanese automaker published the most revealing -up until now, that is- teaser photo showing the front end of its new 7-seater luxury crossover.

Infiniti's dedicated Facebook page says that aside from the initial sketch, we're going to see a total of 7 live photos of the JX before it is officially unveiled in concept trim at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California on August 18.
Not counting the sketch, the company has released four photos of the crossover model, so three more to go.

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Mercedes-Benz to Build BMW X6 Rival

Things at Mercedes-Benz seem to be moving fast. Just this past weekend, the German automaker launched its C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, while a few days ago we reported on the firm's plans to invest $2 billion in its US factoryto build the next generation of the C-Class.

However, Mercedes has even bigger plans for the Tuscaloosa plant. According to Autonews Europe, sources within the company revealed that it aims to add a fifth model (after the M-, R-, GL- and C-Class) to its Alabama factory production line in 2015.
This model, currently code-named C166, will be based on the M-Class SUV but will feature a more dramatic styling with a coupe-like roofline. Its rival is obvious: the BMW X6.
In 2010, the Bavarians sold 46,404 units of the X6 and 102,178 of its more conventional SUV, the X5, both of which are manufactured in the US. Therefore, it is only logical for Mercedes-Benz to want a piece of the cake that BMW is currently enjoying on its own.

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MINI Cooper S R53

The second generation of the new MINI from the BMW Group has been with us since 2007 but the tuning industry has yet to let go of the Mk1 hatch and especially the Cooper S model with the R53 designation.

German tuning house CoverEFX has just launched a new package for the MINI Cooper S Mk1 that includes both cosmetic and performance modifications.
The transformation begins on the outside with a flat gunmetal grey vinyl wrap for the body contrasted by the orange colored roof and front fenders as well as the glossy black trim for the aero package and body trim.
The smoked out lights and the new 17-inch multispoke alloy wheels in black with an orange rim further enhance the car's looks.
Under the hood, the MINI's 1.6-liter turbocharged engine is boosted to 240-horsepower while the three-door hatch rides on a lowered sports suspension.
The total cost of the package is set at €8,000 which comes to around US$11,400.

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2012 Honda Civic European Hatchback

The ninth generation Civic hatchback for the European market will soon make its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September but Honda has provided us with a sneak peak of the five-door model with photos of a camouflaged prototype and a video explaining the changes under the body.

The Civic hatchback has been designed exclusively for Europe and will continue to be a separate model from the North American four-door sedan and two-door coupe variants with which it shares the same name.
The photos of the test car suggest that Honda will keep the edgy styling of the current model including the hidden door handles tucked away at the corners of the rear windows. However, the new Civic will be a tad longer improving passenger space.
Underneath the sheetmetal, Honda makes it a point to state that the European Civic will sport a heavily revised suspension that will significantly improve the car's ride quality, comfort as well as handling and body control.
Honda says it has achieved this even though the Civic, unlike many of its competitors in the C-segment like the Golf that feature fully independent, sophisticated multi-link suspension systems at the rear, retains a rear torsion beam.
A key change to the rear suspension system is the adoption of what Honda engineers describe as "clever fluid-filled compliance bushes".
The Japanese automaker is still keeping mum on the powertrain details, but according to our sources, one of the new introductions to the range will be a smaller displacement turbo diesel engine that will slot right under the current 2.2-liter i-DTEC unit.

VIDEO

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2013 BMW i3 Concept

The car we originally came to know as the Megacity Vehicle was officially revealed today as the BMW i3 Concept ahead of its 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show debut and less than two years before it goes on sale in 2013.
The new i3 along with the i8 sports coupe concept (we'll have more on that in a bit) that was also shown today, are the first vehicles of BMW's new i sub-brand with which the Bavarian company plans to sell a range of environmental-friendly hybrids, pure-electric and range-extended cars.
The upcoming i3 will be BMW's first ever mass produced all-electric model. The five-door hatchback rides on a new dedicated architecture named "LifeDrive".
The chassis is made mostly from aluminum while the body structure from CFRP (carbonfibre reinforced plastic). BMW says that CFRP is at least as strong as steel, but roughly 50 per cent lighter, adding that by comparison, aluminum would save “only” 30 per cent in weight over steel.
For its motivation, the i3 relies on an electric motor that resides over the rear axle and drives the rear wheels. It's an improved version of the electric motor found on the MINI E prototype and it generates an output of 170-horses (125 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb.ft) allowing the i3 to accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h (37 mph) in under four seconds and from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than eight seconds.
The single-speed gearbox allows the i3 Concept to reach an electronically governed 150 km/h (93 mph). BMW says that without the speed governor the driving range would be "unnecessarily restricted".
The power to drive the electric motor is provided by a set of lithium-ion batteries with a liquid-cooling system that are mounted within the central section of the floor. They can be fully recharged in six hours using a standard power socket. If a high-speed charger is used, an 80 per cent charge can be achieved in one hour. The batteries offer a driving range of around 120km to 160km (80-100 miles).
BMW will also offer an optional Range Extender called the REx, which allows the electric driving range to be increased. The REx comprises of a small displacement petrol engine that drives a generator which maintains the battery charge level and therefore extends the range of the electric motor. BMW says that to reduce fuel consumption, REx also features such functions as Automatic Start-Stop and other intelligent operating strategies.
The i3 is the smallest BMW model measuring 3,845mm long, 1,537mm wide and 2,011mm tall while riding on 2,570mm long wheelbase. It comes with four seats, wide-opening opposing "coach" doors, a rear boot capacity of around 200 liters and an additional smaller compartment in the front.
The slightly futuristic design of the exterior that shares many common styling cues with the i8 is expected to remain fairly unchanged on the production model. The interior, on the other hand, is purely conceptual and will most likely be redesigned for the showroom i3.

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