Automotive
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The all-new turbo-charged 128 kW MINI Cooper S
July 31, 2006 The full reveal of the next generation MINI is just one month away, but MINI has provided a sneak preview of the new car’s mechanical package at a final pre-production shake-down in Holland. Lightly camouflaged next generation MINIs were driven by European media earlier this month and the expectation of a turbocharged MINI has materialised. The next generation MINI will be powered by new British-built engines, featuring for the first time, turbocharged induction, and the news that every part of the powertrain and chassis has been thoroughly revised or updated. Engines and transmissions, suspension and steering, brakes and safety systems are new from the ground up. Engineers were tasked with enhancing the legendary agility and control delivered by the go-kart-like MINI handling. The first of the next generation MINI models to reach the international market will be the MINI Cooper - equipped with an 88 kW four-cylinder naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with the turbo-charged 128 kW MINI Cooper S following then the MINI One and MINI One Diesel will follow later in international markets. The MINI Cooper S features an ‘Overboost’ slingshot torque feature for super fast acceleration. (read more...)
Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina
July 31, 2006 Feast your eyes on this beautie - it’s the Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina and will debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car is a one-off commissioned by James Glickenhaus, the American collector with a yen for the legendary racing cars of the Sixties. Starting from a Ferrari Enzo, the aim was to produce a sole vehicle inspired by sport racing cars with extreme vocations: not just a show-car but a vehicle to be enjoyed on the road. Using CAS modelling, more than 200 components were specifically developed through constant interaction between styling and design for the mainly carbon fibre, very mobile sculpture. It's no show pony alone, as it it was wind-tunnel tested along the way to deliver function as well as the equisite form. (read more...)
An in-car Macintosh-based PC
When it comes to the disciplines of performance, handling and spectacular body design, the world’s most exclusive sports cars rarely leave anything to be desired. That changes when it comes to the interior as many of their discriminating owners wish to customize according to their own, often very personal tastes. German company Mattes Interieurtechnik specializes just in interior automotive design for ultra luxury cars. Every detail of how the interior will be customized is discussed in a personal conversation with the customer and there is no limit to the colours the customer can choose from, regardless of whether it's the leather or Alcantara used, the floor and trunk carpeting or the thread for the stitching, or one’s choice of personal computer. Until now all existing multimedia and business systems on wheels were based on PC technology. Mattes Interieurtechnik responded to the request of many of its customers who prefer Apple computers and developed a high-end in-car system based on an Apple iMac G5, whose entire hardware in turn is integrated into the 17-inch monitor that is only 5 centimeters thick. The iMac G5 multimedia system can be integrated into any car, though it is pictured here in the new Mercedes CLS where it'll set you back around UE 3,500. The computer comes covered in the finest magnolia-colored leather and is installed on the driveshaft tunnel behind the front seats. By unplugging one cable and unfastening the locking mechanism the computer can be removed from the car in less than an a minute for use at home or in the office. (read more...)
Caterham Seven Roadsport delivers 131 miles per gallon
July 28, 2006 Caterham is famed for producing some of the fastest cars in the world, and we tend to give the cars regular coverage because they offer a bang-per-buck factor that’s right up there with their power to weight ratio. So what happens when you take a Caterham and refocus its 550 kg weight towards achieving efficient fuel consumption rather than in getting there quickly? A modified Caterham Seven Roadsport 1.6-litre 16-valve K Series sports car was entered in the recent Shell Eco-Marathon. A bit of aerodynamic modification and a set of narrow low rolling resistance tyres were the main changes alongside some economic driving techniques to ensure it maximised every drop of fuel. The sportscar was the only road registered car in the event and the team was hoping for 100mpg. On the day, it recorded 131 miles per gallon. (read more...)
Instant Man in Your Glove Box
July 27, 2006 It’s a sad fact but despite thousands of years of civilization, it just takes a bit of frustration on the roads and otherwise law abiding citizens can get very ugly and threatening. A poll in the UK shows that nearly one in three female motorists admit to having been the victim of road rage or intimidation when travelling alone, which is why new UK car insurance company Sheilas' Wheels is offering a new device that aims to make women feel safer when driving alone after dark. 'Buddy on Demand' is a blow up man that inflates at the flick of a switch if and when a passenger is needed. It is designed to help women deter road-rage attacks, car jacking and intimidating behaviour by other motorists - especially at night - by giving the appearance of two silhouettes in the front of the car, instead of a single, female figure behind the wheel. The 'Buddy on Demand' was designed and created by Inflate, builders of the Office in a bucket and a range of other remarkable inflatable structures. (read more...)
Formula One Car for the Road - the Hulme SuperCar
Conceived as a Formula One car for the road, and named after famous Kiwi racing driver Denny Hulme, the Supercars NZ Hulme is a new contender in the UKP300,000 plus European exotica category. Unveiled to the local New Zealand media in mid 2005, the company had its initial European tour-de-force over the last few weeks at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the ultra-exclusive Salon Prive. The Hulme SuperCar is powered by a BMW M5 V8 producing 550brake horses running through a six speed sequential gearbox, and weighs in at the curb with all bodily fluids topped up at a very slim 1175 kilograms. The body is a carbon fibre shell and will be produced in limited quantities of up to 30 a year in the Koeniggseg and Pagani category of high end exotica. (read more...)
The superb Tesla Roadster EV
July 21, 2006 It looks kinda like a Lotus Elise, tops 130 mph, has a range of 250 miles on a single charge, and is capable of 0-60 mph in about four seconds. Those are impressive figures and put it in the supercar acceleration class but the biggest thing the new electric Tesla Roadster which was unveiled overnight has going for it is cred. The kinda cred that comes when names like Elon Musk (PayPal founder and Tesla Chairman), Jeff Skoll (eBay), Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google) invest and when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger calls past for a photo session. The kind of cred that earned it the headline such as “Electric sports car ready to challenge Porsche?” in C/NET and lots of ink in highly credible magazines such as Newsweek, Red Herring, Business Week and Wired before anyone knew anything about their product other than that it was an electric sports car. The superstar team seems to have lived up to the hype though as the Tesla Roadster is impressive (see details inside). Deliveries of the Tesla Roadster are expected to begin mid-2007 and though no price has yet been announced for the vehicle, the indications are that it’ll run somewhere between the US$80,000 of the Tango and the US$120,000 of the Hybrid Technologies Mullen GT and somewhat less than the US$580,000 of the Venturi Fetish. (read more...)
Panda Terramare 4x4 with inflatable flotation belt
July 22, 2006 An interesting nautical adventure took place yesterday when a modified Fiat Panda 4x4 successfully crossed the English Channel. Beginning at 8.30am, the crossing took just over six hours, and at 4.30pm London time, the Panda Terramare 4 drove out of the water and up the beach at Cap Griz Nez, completing the epic 25 mile maritime journey across one of the busiest seaways in the world. The Panda’s creator is Milan-born Maurizio Zanisi, an independent former Iso Rivolta engineer, and his self-built Panda Terramare 4 which is based on a Panda 4x4 chassis, but with an inflatable flotation belt, and waterjet propulsion driven off the rear axle has now conquered the famous stretch of water. Additional and detailed images inside (read more...)
Mazda MX-5 Miata Roadster Coupe – full details
July 19 2006 At the 2006 British International Motor Show which opens today, Mazda has unveiled a new version of its motoring icon, the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe, and it opens up a new dimension of fun and versatility for people who love open-top sports cars. The Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe is a brand-new counterpart to the third-generation MX-5, which launched in 2005. It has the same responsive performance and emotive styling as the soft-top model, but is equipped with a Power Retractable Hard Top—an electrically retractable hard top that doesn’t sacrifice any boot space. The roof retracts in three sections into a space behind the seats, leaving the boot completely unaffected and it does so very quickly in just 12 seconds (Mazda claims this is the quickest of any electrically retractable hard top on the market today), so it doesn’t interrupt driving enjoyment for long. And the entire mechanism has only marginally added to the weight at just 37 kilos more than the ragtop. (read more...)
More on the smart electric plustwo
July 19, 2006 Last week we reported on the coming of the smart EV, an electric version of smart's iconic two-seater commuter. Now we can release the firstdetails of the highly integrated electric drivetrain developed by British specialist Zytek which has allowed DaimlerChrysler to introduce Europe’s first high quality, high efficiency electric commuter car. The new smart ev (electric vehicle) shown at the British International Motorshow overnight provides all the safety features and dynamic ability of the standard smart fortwo, but with zero vehicle emissions and fuel costs slashed from an already class-leading EUR0.06 per kilometre (6.3p per mile) for the petrol version to just EUR0.02 per kilometre (2.1p per mile) for the vehicle with the new electric drivetrain. (read more...)
Honda F1 car attempts land speed record at Bonneville
July 19, 2006 Just how fast is a Formula One car? That question was answered, at least partially, on Monday morning at around 8am local time at the Bonneville Salt Flats, when Alan van der Merwe piloted a race legal Honda 007 along a seven mile-long salt straight, achieving a speed of 220.571mph (354.975 km/h) for the flying mile and 220.897 mph (355.499 km/h) for the flying kilometre. To be frank, we were a bit disappointed too, but one of the problems of Bonneville and lots of horsepower is that of traction. Driver Alan van der Merwe put it in perspective when he said, “We haven’t done 400kph yet though, which is our ultimate target. In a way it’s quite nice we didn’t, because it shows that this is a genuine challenge and not just a case of us turning up, nailing it and going home. You have to work for every extra mile an hour here and we may not break the 400 mark, but that’s still our goal.” (read more...)
New all-wheel drive Porsche 911 Targa models
July 17, 2006 Porsche is to add two new variants of the eleven series in November – the 911 Targa 4 and the 911 Targa 4S. Both Targa models will be available exclusively with permanent all-wheel drive and a body that is 44 millimeters wider at the rear. As with their predecessor (the Type 996), the most striking feature of both of these elegant sports cars is the large glass roof and folding rear window. The Targa 4 is powered by the familiar flat-six engine, delivering 239 kW (325 bhp) of power from 3.6 liters. It accelerates the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 280 km/h. The more powerful S variant features a 3.8-liter engine producing 261 kW (355 bhp). This model sprints to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 288 km/h. The basic euro-price for the 911 Targa 4 is 79,000 euros, or 87,900 euros for the 911 Targa 4S. (read more...)
GM Holden unveils new Commodore, Statesman and Caprice models
July 16, 2006 General Motors Holden, the Australian division of the world’s largest car company, General Motors, released details of its all-new Holden Commodore range, designed and engineered to extend a decade-long record as Australia’s best selling car today. The 2006 VE Commodore is Australia’s first $1 billion car program and also holds global responsibilities for rear-wheel-drive engineering development and vehicle design for future programs outside Australia. Holden’s sports performance hero SS model and prestige leader Calais were chosen to debut the VE Commodore at an event in Melbourne. The all-new upmarket WM series Statesman and Caprice flagship models, were also shown in an historic double reveal. The cars are powered by 195 kilowatt Alloytec V6 engines, and a range-topping 270 kilowatt 6.0 litre V8 will deliver the performance Holden buyers know and love. A new six-speed automatic transmission is now available for V8 models, similar to GM’s premium cars such as Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Corvette. Other features include all-new front and rear suspension systems to provide outstanding handling without sacrificing ride comfort and the car’s microprocessing capability has more than doubled to provide new levels of safety and user-friendly features. (read more...)
'Boosted Hybrid' technology offers new approach to lower emissions and performance improvements
July 16, 2006 A new approach to hybrid powertrain design, combining advanced pressure boosting technology with electric torque assist in one compact unit, has been demonstrated to offer a low cost route to lower emissions and performance improvements. The system, called the SuperGen i-Hybrid, is compatible with conventional gasoline powertrain architecture, and is claimed to offer all the benefits of a hybrid transmission at around one third of the cost of a conventional hybrid solution. SuperGen i-Hybrid can be applied to all mainstream gasoline engines and also diesels, acting as a pre-booster. (read more...)
The most expensive luxury coach ever built
July 13, 2006 It’s a mighty big claim but Featherlite Luxury Coaches has announced its newest motorcoach, the Vantare Platinum Plus, with the claim that it’s the most expensive luxury coach ever built. The Platinum Plus has a triple slide configuration and its spacious interior is defined by the finest grade of finish materials in the world. Designed by renowned interior designer and luxury coach owner Karen B. Horton, the fine detail of every item that has gone into the US$2.5 million Platinum Plus really has to be seen to be believed. (read more...)
smart fortwo goes electric
July 13, 2006 The most logical fossil-fueled car on the market to convert to an electric car, the iconic smart fortwo, looks set to be finally available as a plug-in EV thanks to an announcement overnight in the UK. The UK has been selected to run a market trial for the introduction of a fully electric version of the popular two-seater car, with the smart ev (electric vehicle) set to make its debut at the British Motorshow at ExCeL on July 18. The smart ev sets a new benchmark in the electric vehicle sector; it has 30kW output and a top speed of 70 mph. It offers even better in-town performance than its petrol powered stablemate, with 0-30 mph in 6.5 seconds. With a range of up to 72 miles, the smart ev is exempt from vehicle excise duty and congestion charge in the UK. (read more...)
The World’s Fastest Police HUMMER
July 12, 2006 Born from a military vehicle and the most prominent symbol of America's global military dominance, the HUMMER does not require more testosterone, but hey, boys will be boys. German automotive performance house Geiger specialises in American cars and outrageous one-offs, and is hence accustomed to unusual customer requests. So the request from a Texas sheriff to turn his personal emergency vehicle into the world’s fastest police HUMMER represented a special challenge and one which was approached with pride. The resultant vehicle is now bound for the U.S.A and sports a supercharged 7.0-liter engine with 700 hp (515 kW). As if that’s not enough, the black and white HUMMER H2 has a brutal torque output which peaks at 904 Nm at 4,260 rpm and surely slingshots the beastie to its electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. That should be fast enough for the sheriff to catch just about any speedster ... though we suspect few people would wish to have this sheriff on their case. (read more...)
New Mercedes-Benz SLR "722 Edition"
July 11, 2006 Mercedes-Benz has released a new 337 km/h 650 hp "722 Edition" variant of its SLR super sports car paying homage to the famous 1955 Mille Miglia victory by Stirling Moss in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR with the starting number 722. The new 722 accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in only 3.6 seconds, and 200 km/h is reached in just 10.2 seconds. Refined in numerous respects over the standard SLR, this super sports car has more output, a tailor-made suspension configuration and a decidedly sporty interior. A parallel announcement was the foundation of a worldwide "SLR. Club" which will be based at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, southern France. As an ultra-exclusive community of which SLR customers automatically become members, the SLR Club will provide numerous benefits including an SLR Safety & Speed Academy driver training with instructors such as David Coulthard, Jochen Mass, Klaus Ludwig, Chris Goodwin and Christina Surer among the instructors. (read more...)
The Courreges Zooop EV
July 10, 2006 The Zoop is a high performance 150 kW three seat electric car that weighs just 690 kilograms and has a range of 450 kilometres. It won a special award at the recent international sustainable mobility event, the Michelin Bibendum Challenge for its extreme performance. Remarkably, the Zooop is not the product of an automotive manufacturer, or even an automotive design house. It is the third fully-operative EV prototype produced by globally renowned Paris-based fashion design house Maison de Courreges and has had very little publicity outside of the car's native France. Which is all very surprising, because in the heady world of fashion, the husband and wife team of Andre and Coqueline Courreges are superstars. Both Andre Courreges and Coqueline Barriere were (separately) apprenticed and mentored by one of the original fashion designer icons Cristobal Balenciaga. Andre Courreges opened the Maison de Courreges in 1961 and was one of the most influential designers of the swinging sixties, most famously as the inventor of the miniskirt but also responsible for the trouser suit, the Moongirl look and gogo boots. Now Madam Coqueline Courreges is championing the electric car and looks set to make history in a new sphere. (read more...)
Microsoft goes F1 racing
July 7, 2006 In February this year we discussed the fascinating call by the governing body of international motorsport, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), for expressions of interest in providing the standard electronic control system for all F1 cars as part of the drive to reduce the sport's prohibitive costs. Overnight it was announced that Microsoft MES has been selected as the official ECU supplier to F1 in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Now the world's largest software vendor has had its eye on the automotive environment as one of the cornerstones of future computing for some time, recently winning Best Telematics Solution at the Telematics Detroit 2006 with its Microsoft Windows Mobile for Automotive platform, BUT ... let's hope the boys and gals from Redmond are on the ball with this one as anything less than perfect is not good enough in the world of F1 and it could prove to be the almightiest gaffe in Public Relations history if perfection isn't achieved. A large chunk of the world's population watches a Formula One race and F1 drivers are particularly unforgiving of technical failure when they get a microphone in front of them. (read more...)
The Limited Edition Rolls Royce Phantom Black
July 7, 2006 Rolls-Royce will unveil a new special edition at the Goodwood Festival this weekend in the form of the "Phantom Black." Only 25 Bespoke Phantom Blacks will be hand-built to demonstrate the best in Rolls-Royce design, engineering and craftsmanship and emphasise the Phantom's impressive performance and dynamic character. High lustre metallic Diamond Black paint is used on the body, complemented by twin silver coach lines. 21-inch alloy wheels come fitted with high performance Goodyear run flat tyres and feature unique black detailing and centre caps with RR badges, engineered to stay upright even at speed. At the rear of the Phantom Black, visible tail pipes hint at the car's performance. No price has been announced as all 25 Phantom Blacks have already been allocated to customers around the world. (read more...)
The World 0-100-0 and SS quarter mile production car champion
July 6, 2006 A week ago we ran a story about the complete dominance of Autocar’s annual 0-100-0 mph comparison test by the world’s most powerful, most expensive and fastest automobile, the Bugatti Veyron with its remarkable numbers being 987 bhp, US$1.6 million, 406km/h and thanks to the AutoCar test, 9.9 seconds for the sprint to 100 mph and back to rest. What AutoCar failed to do, and what we failed to mention, was that it had omitted the world record holder for the 0-100-0 journey, the British built and designed US$130,000 Ultima GTR road car. The 720 horsepower 990 kilogram Ultima is built in small numbers, but we thought it sporting that we should set the record straight, on account of the Ultima having twice broken its own 0-100-0 world record which now stands at 9.4 seconds set on June 1, 2006, half a second quicker than the Bugatti. To cap it off, the car set a standing quarter time of 9.941 seconds on June 9 (with a terminal speed of 143mph), making it the fastest production road car over that distance too. And just to prove it was driven to and from the track, that's Richard picking up his maccas on the way home from the world record. (read more...)
Mercedes E-Class now with E-Guard ballistic optional protection
July 5, 2006 Last November Jaguar announced itself as the first mass-produced vehicle manufacturer to offer an armoured passenger car when it put the Armoured XJ Long Wheelbase luxury saloon car on its brochure. Now Mercedes Benz has followed suit, and as of today, the new-generation E-Class can be ordered with a ballistic protection package (known as E-Guard) directly ex factory. Mercedes and Jaguar join a host of boutique manufacturers of armoured luxury vehicles such as Donald Rumsfeld’s preferred choice of the Rhino Runner, to the Russian Combat T-98 Armoured Luxury SUV. The world can be a hostile and dangerous place with hundreds of war zones around the world at any given time, plus many countries where assassination and kidnapping are routine. Despite wars and organized criminal activity, life has to go on, and there are some people who feel the need to be transported in the manner befitting their station in life. The prime advantage of the Mercedes E-Guard system is that the cars have no external markings indicating their capability – so your adversaries will only find out you’re protected after they’ve played their hand! (read more...)
Nissan GT-S Concept
July 1, 2006 British Nissan development engineers working in their spare time have transformed a 350Z into a highly tuned ‘Saturday Special’. Called the GT-S, the supercharged super coupe is a performance-focused version of Nissan’s acclaimed ‘Z-‘car’ and is designed to appeal to enthusiastic 350Z owners who simply want more. Its first public outing will be at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (7-9 July) as an official Nissan-sanctioned entry in the hill climb, a sign the company is giving the GT-S concept serious consideration. Using a Novidem supercharger, power has increased by more than 25 per cent from 300PS to 382PS, while torque rises from 353 Nm to a heady 425Nm. Performance gains include a one second cut in the benchmark 0-60mph time (5.8 seconds for the standard 350Z) with 2.5 seconds slashed from the 0-100mph time. (read more...)
The limited edition Morgan Aeromax
July 1, 2006 In March 2005, traditional English automobile manufacturers Morgan released images of an extraordinarily beautiful one-off design commissioned by Prince Eric I. Sturdza, President of Banque Baring Brothers Suisse. Conceived as a comfortable long distance Touring Coupe, it had a gullwing boot opening, hardwood and traditional pleated leather interior and a large flat load area behind the seats plus an extraordinarily exquisite shape courtesy of Morgan stylist Matthew Humphries. The huge interest created by the images has resulted in the Morgan Motor Company deciding to produce a limited run of just 100 individually numbered cars starting in January 2008. Priced at UKP94,000 ex factory plus taxes, the company anticipates a strong response to this unique vehicle. Read on to find out how to join the reservation list. (read more...)
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