Automotive
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Eight cylinders, 2.4 litres, more than 700 bhp, more than 19,000 rpm
February 11, 2006 The new Mercedes-Benz Formula One engine for 2006 has eight cylinders in a V-configuration, a capacity of 2.4 litres, and produces “more than 700 brake horsepower” at “more than 9,000 rpm” and weighs just 95 kilograms. The engine and the new livery of the McLaren Mercedes MP4 2006 car were unveiled overnight, adding to those we have already covered for the Toyota, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Williams and Renault teams. In keeping with McLaren’s high tech brand values, the new livery has an innovative surface coating, which achieves a high level of reflectivity and makes the largely composite machine appear chromed. The technology used was perfected by McLaren during the past six months and is completely new to Formula One. (read more...)
The new 510 hp V8 Mercedes-Benz R 63 AMG
February 10, 2006 Mercedes-AMG unveiled the new R 63 AMG at the Chicago Auto Show yesterday. An interpretation of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, the R 63 AMG is powered by the new AMG 6.3-litre V8-engine. With an output of 375 kW/510 hp, 630 Newton metres of torque and permanent four-wheel drive, the Grand Sports Tourer offers a combination of sportiness, spaciousness and top-class comfort for up to six passengers. Following on from the unveiling of the Vision R 63 AMG at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main in September 2005, and the positive response to this show car, the series-produced model is now being launched with availability in the third quarter of 2006. (read more...)
Chevrolet unveils new Avalanche with E85 FlexFuel
February 12, 2006 General Motors introduced the latest rollout of its next-generation full-size truck family, the 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, at the Chicago Auto Show. The Avalanche combines the passenger-comfort of an SUV with the cargo capability of a truck and the new 2007 model offers more power, better fuel economy and optional E85 flex-fuel capability. E85 FlexFuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline and/or E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 can contribute to energy independence because it diversifies the source of transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. (read more...)
World premiere of all-new Toyota Tundra full-size Pickup
February 12, 2006 –Toyota unveiled the all-new next-generation Tundra full-size pickup truck at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show this week, completely redesigning every single to create a bigger, more powerful vehicle with the ability to tow over 10,000 pounds. The Tundra will be aimed at the ‘True Trucker,' the people Toyota regards as the “true opinion leaders among full-size owners.” True Truckers, says Toyota, are “highly credible because they use, punish, and demand the most out of the pickups they buy." (read more...)
An EXTREME Truck like no other - the International MXT 4x4 Pickup
February 10, 2006 If playing keep-up with the Jones is your game, and said Mr Jones buys a Hummer, what do you do? You go out and buy an International pick-up, that’s what! The World’s Largest Pickup Truck was created by taking the trailer off a prime hauler, doing a bit of remodelling here and there, and turning it into a humungous don't-mess-with-me three-dimensional personal statement - a pickup so big that the crew cab can seat five sumo wrestlers with ease (providing one of them can drive) and the tray can carry a jet ski or a motorcycle with the tailgate up. Yesterday at the Chicago Auto Show, International unveiled the new International MXT 4x4 pickup truck, which has the same gargantuan proportions and strength as its brethren (it can tow 8 tons), and slots in as the third member of International's XT family, joining the CXT and the RXT. (read more...)
Volkswagen shows first U.S.-bound Golf
February 10, 2006 Volkswagen chose the Chicago Auto Show to debut the fifth generation of Europe’s best-selling car, the new Volkswagen Golf hatchback. While it is hands down the most popular motoring choice for drivers on the other side of the Atlantic, one of the most interesting claims made by Volkswagen in announcing the new Golf was “an appeal that transcends both status and social class.” VW believes the Golf appeals to the purist, as it “epitomizes an authentic German car built for a wide group of buyers who share a stringent set of Teutonic standards for motoring.” The US Golf will go on sale mid year in both two- and four-door versions, though no pricing has been announced. Standard items on all new Golfs will include an advanced ABS braking system, traction control, active headrests (front), front and rear head curtain protection, front side airbags, manual climate control and anti-theft alarm system with remote locking. (read more...)
The incredibly versatile Dodge Rampage Concept Vehicle
February 9, 2006 Bold, powerful and supremely versatile, the exquisitely-named Dodge Rampage concept vehicle was unveiled yesterday at the Chicago Motor Show and we think it’s a very exciting variation on the pickup truck theme. As the principal exterior designer of the Rampage said it, "this is a truck for the person who wants the functional aspects of a truck yet doesn’t want a traditional vehicle. The Rampage has the capability of a pickup without sacrificing occupant space." (read more...)
Hyundai Entourage Makes World Debut At Chicago Auto Show
February 9, 2006 The new 2007 Hyundai Entourage minivan made its world debut yesterday at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. Entourage is the first vehicle with the Hyundai Hideaway third-row seat, a simple-to-use 60/40 split fold-into-the floor seat offering flexibility for up to seven passengers. Hyundai packed the all-new Entourage with a range of safety technologies, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC), anti-whiplash active front head restraints and six airbags including side air curtains, which help protect occupants in all three rows during side impacts. (read more...)
Koenigsegg to release CCX for American market
February 11, 2006 Less than twelve months ago, the Koenigsegg CCR was the most powerful and fastest production car in the world, having just achieved a top speed of 388 km/h (Caution: large WMV movie) , raising McLaren's mark of 372 kmh set in 1993 by a whopping margin. Prior to the CCR, the company’s CC8 was the world’s most powerful production car and the Swedish company has a proud history of creating brutally powerful roadsters. Then Bugatti finally put the long-awaited Veyron into production in October last, and it immediately became the world’s fastest (407 km/h), most powerful (987 bhp), most torquey (1,250 Nm at 2,200 rpm) and most outrageous (16-cylinder engine with four turbochargers and that’s just for starters) production automobile in automotive history. When Koenigsegg sent us an invitation to the launch of a new car at the 76th Salon International de l'Auto in Geneva we were kinda hopeful that they'd found another 200 horses and 20 km/h and were aiming to reclaim their place at the top of the speed charts. Sadly, the CCX will be the second fastest car in the world with the same top speed (388 km/h) as the CCR produced from its 806 bhp engine pushing the 2200 pound carbon fibre body. It goes 0 to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds, and runs the standing quarter mile in just 9 seconds at 146 mph. The American-only CCX will only be sold in one location - Exotic Cars in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace Las Vegas has just been appointed the first and only dealer in the United States for its exclusive supercars. (read more...)
Hyundai Genus and Accent SR Turbo concepts
February 9, 2006 They’ve obviously been burning the midnight oil at Hyundai’s European design centre in Russelsheim, Germany, with the studio creating two new concept cars for debut at major international auto shows in the next few weeks. The centrepiece of Hyundai’s presentation at the Geneva Motor Show next month will be the Genus concept vehicle, a premium crossover model that combines the sporting dynamism of a coupe with the versatility of an estate car. Also from Russelsheim comes the phat and fast Accent SR Turbo, looking every inch a design study of the next Hyundai World Rally Car, mooted to debut mid 2007 for a tilt at the 2008 season. Accent SR will headline Hyundai’s display at the Melbourne International Motor Show this week. The Accent SR Turbo is based on the three-door hatch variant of the coming new generation MC Accent range, and has the purposeful look of a high performance small car with wide tracks front and rear, big flares framing outsize alloys, lowered sports suspension, body kit and big tailpipes. (read more...)
Freestream T1 roadster produces 480 bhp and weighs just 465 kilograms
February 7, 2006 The Freestream T1 is ultra lightweight 2-seater with wind-tunnel aerodynamics, a composite construction, a 480bhp 2.4-litre V8 and one of the lightest weights of any road car in existence - just 465kg. Built by a team of engineers who were part of the elite team that designed and developed the iconic McLaren F1, the T1’s 1,000bhp/tonne power-to-weight ratio will offer 3g cornering, and braking and acceleration performance approaching that of a Formula One car. Though it could well be the ultimate track day car, the T1 will be road registerable and is expected to cost in the vicinity of UKP150,000 when it goes on sale later this year. (read more...)
Audi’s US$6,300 Concert-Level B&O Sound System
February 6, 2006 What’s the one automotive accessory that is used close to 100% of the time a car is occupied? The answer is of course, the sound system. So when Audi set out to build its flagship A8 and S8 sports limousines, it decided to offer an optional, state-of-the-art flagship audio product to match. In order to create the system, Audi teamed with Danish audio specialist Bang & Olufsen and the design pays heed to the actual acoustic characteristics of the car interior, such as internal space, shape and materials used, driving speed, the corresponding wind effect and the friction between asphalt and tyres are also taken into account. The system uses fourteen active high-end loudspeakers, B&O Acoustic Lens Technology and two sets of amplifiers (a high performance amplifier and a Digital Signal Processor) to supply a combined output of more than 1,000 watts. When the system is activated, two lens speakers automatically emerge from the dashboard, giving perfect sound to every seat in the car with precisely aligned horizontal emissions. (read more...)
Triple World Rally Championship celebration for Ford
February 6, 2006 Ford has many reasons to celebrate overnight for Marcus Gronholm's win in the Uddeholm Swedish Rally in Karlstad; it was Ford’s 50th win in the World Rally Championship, Gronholm’s 20th WRC win (moving him to equal fifth on the all-time list) and it happened on his 38th birthday. The Finn admitted that he isn't so interested in his age anymore but his second win of the season in the Focus WRC06 was the primary reason to celebrate, having dominated the event and led from the first stage. However, of more interest to Ford its lead in the drivers championship and the manufacturers championship. It was a particularly sweet victory for Ford as despite its long and illustrious rally history (the Zodiac, Zephyr, Falcon, Anglia, Cortina, ad infinitum), the last time the marque won in Sweden was in 1978, with Bjorn Waldegard at the wheel of the Escort RS1800, when the WRC was just five years old. Gronholm’s win, and the exclusion of the third of the big three competitors in WRC, Subaru’s Petter Solberg, the bookies have now firmed Gronholm to 2.25 (5/4) clear second favourite for the drivers championship, though current world champion Sebastien Loeb remains odds-on favourite for the title at 1.70 (approx. 6/4 on). Solberg has now drifted to 8.00 (7/1) and Subaru’s Australian prodigy Chris Atkinson is fourth favourite at a staggering 80/1. Clearly the championship is a three-horse-race after just two events of the 16 event series. (read more...)
Renault Altica sporty estate concept car
February 4, 2006 Renault has taken the wraps off its latest concept car, Altica, a sporty estate car with a spacious interior. Described by Renault's Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Patrick le Quement, as “a successful balance between flowing and sporty lines,” the Altica is designed to combine the practicality of an estate car, the sports appeal of a coupe and a high standard of travelling comfort. The interior of the car is where most of the advanced concepts are employed, with a suspended drive station held in place by four profiled rods that hint at the world of Formula 1. Similarly, the seats are fixed, and the drive station and pedal assembly adjust to match the driver's physique via a motorized mechanism. Altica's sports pedigree is reinforced by its scissor doors, the form of which ensures easy access to this low vehicle. (read more...)
Toyota mini SUV Urban Cruiser concept
February 4, 2006 Toyota is set to show a concept it is billing as an Urban Cruiser at this month’s Geneva Auto Show. The futuristic mini SUV is a design exercise by ED2, Toyota’s European design studio with the concept car drawing heavily on Toyota’s heritage in Sports Utility Vehicles but also adding its own dynamic flair and rugged originality. The Urban Cruiser will also feature a fresh interior style inspired by trendy furniture. (read more...)
PSA Peugeot Citroen unveils Peugeot 307 and the Citroen C4 Hybride HDi cars offering 3.4 l/100 km (83 mpg)
February 3, 2006 PSA Peugeot Citroen has unveiled two demonstrator vehicles featuring a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain: the Peugeot 307 and the Citroen C4 Hybride HDi. Average diesel consumption for these two cars is 3.4 litres per 100 kilometres (83 mpg) with 90 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre - a record for compact cars. This is some 25% better than a similar vehicle equipped with a petrol hybrid system, or as much as a litre per 100 kilometres (20 mpg) in combined urban and motorway driving. PSA Peugeot Citroen’s Hybrid HDi technology comprises a 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine, a particulate filter system (DPFS), the latest generation Stop & Start system, an electric motor, inverter, high-voltage battery pack and dedicated control electronics. The cars are also equipped with an electronically managed manual gearbox. (read more...)
Rossi shines in Formula One testing
February 2, 2006 Italian MotoGP star Valentino Rossi is already a phenomenon and seems destined for an even greater share of the media’s attention over the coming year now that he has stepped into the limelight of the world’s biggest spectator event – Formula One. Yesterday he stepped out in his new capacity as an official Ferrari F1 test driver alongside team leader Michael Schumacher and amongst most of the major Formula One drivers on the same track – the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain. Driving a 2004 Ferrari F2004, Rossi finished eighth fastest of the 15 drivers, completing 53 laps, with a best time of 1.12.851. Schumacher covered a total of 71 laps, setting the third quickest time of the day at 1.11.814. Rossi was faster than a number of established F1 stars on the day, including Red Bull’s David Coulthard, Williams’ Mark Webber and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli. Rossi has been linked to a move to Formula One in 2007, with his Yamaha MotoGP contract expiring at the end of 2006. This article looks at the parallel careers of Rossi and the only person to have won both the F1 and MotoGP championship - John Surtees. (read more...)
Fiat and Microsoft launch Blue&Me in-car communications & entertainment system
February 2, 2006 Fiat and Microsoft will launch Blue&Me based on Windows Mobile for Automotive at the 2006 Geneva Motorshow later this month, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of in-car communication, infotainment and entertainment systems and providing all vehicles in the Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Fiat Commercial Vehicle ranges with a competitive advantage. Blue&Me will be the first product seen from the long-term strategic partnership inked in July 2004 with the objective of co-designing innovative automotive telematics systems. Blue&Me is an all-new system which will be software upgradeable and compatible with most mobile phones, digital media players and other mobile devices so they can be replaced without compromising compatibility with the car. The voice-activated system, the complete integration of steering wheel control buttons and information on the dashboard display will allow users to utilize any Bluetooth-based mobile phone. Thanks to a modern voice-recognition system, no preliminary voice training is needed, and even incoming SMS messages are read aloud to the driver. Among audio functions, it is possible to listen to music stored on a mobile phone, in the newest smart phones, and in MP3 readers or USB removable sticks via a USB port in the glove box. (read more...)
Rotating Cylinder Valve (RCV) engine unveiled
UK-based RCV Engines is best known globally for its range of model aircraft engines but the unveiling yesterday of a prototype 125cc Rotating Cylinder Valve (RCV) scooter engine could put it on the map in a far more significant way. The RCV engine is ideally suited to sub-250cc applications such as motorcycles, scooters and power tools where it offers 100PS/litre performance and manufacturing costs akin to those of a two-stroke, with the emission levels and fuel consumption of a four-stroke. International demand for small motorcycle engines is massive with the Chinese, Indian and Indonesian markets accounting for 22 million small capacity engines annually – traditionally, these have been two-stroke engines but with the advent of exhaust emission regulations the bulk of production is now represented by larger, more expensive and less powerful 4-strokes. The RCV engine offers a particularly attractive solution for this large and growing market sector and also has application in chain saws, leaf blowers, strimmers and the emerging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market. Better still, RCV engines run well on alternative fuels such as kerosene and bio-fuels and significant further potential remains for this engine concept in areas such as variable valve timing, variable compression ratio and supercharging which could improve already impressive performance to new heights. (read more...)
The EDAG Biwak – the Beetle Estate Wagon inspired by the grunge movement
February 2, 2006 EDAG Engineering + Design regularly comes up with interesting automotive concepts and has once again surprised us with the Biwak concept it will display at the Geneva Motor Show later this month. Like the Porsche Chopster SUV it showed last year, the Biwak is a derivative concept based on an existing design, though this time, it's based on Volkswagen's iconic Beetle. In this case, the classic, half-rounded beetle shape has been converted into an estate silhouette, creating extra room for various new professional and leisure applications. Now if you think the exterior treatment is provocative, wait until you get to the rationale. The EDAG Biwak look is “inspired by the spirit of the grunge movement of the early 1990s.” EDAG describes the Biwak thus: a daring mix of materials in the interior and exterior, and patina instead of a high-gloss finish dominate the appearance of the avantgarde Beetle, which signals understatement and individuality for a new generation of vehicle owners. The vehicle will be unveiled at a press conference on March 1, 2006. (read more...)
All-New Opel GT revives a classic sports car
February 2, 2006 The classic slogan "Nur Fliegen ist schoner" ("Only flying is more exciting") went down in the history of advertising, and applied to a car which has become a classic - the Opel GT. Now the Opel brand is reviving the legend with a new sports car that echoes the successful concept of its predecessor. The new two-seat GT features an exciting design with sharply cut lines, rear-wheel drive and a potent four-cylinder turbo engine with gasoline direct injection. The new roadster will celebrate its world premiere at this year's Geneva Motor Show. (read more...)
Volvo’s new S80 – luxury, V8 Power, AWD Poise
February 1, 2006 Volvo's all-new S80 will be revealed to the public at the international motor show in Geneva on 28 February and is scheduled to arrive in European dealerships during June. Performance and power are entrenched priorities in the ultra-competitive luxury sedan segment, and Volvo Car's commitment to delivery these qualities yields an enthusiastic and refined combination of 235kW V8 power and all-wheel-drive performance. (read more...)
ALFA'S 159 Sportwagon - showroom "shooting brake"
February 1, 2006 Alfa Romeo is to produce a Sportwagon version of the all-new Alfa Romeo 159 sports sedan which will grace showrooms around the globe by the middle of this year. The new Sportwagon will debut at the Geneva International Motor Show later this month, providing a successor to the highly successful Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon. The Alfa 159 Sportwagon represents a very desirable all-purpose vehicle, combining Italian style with the performance and handling of a genuine sportscar, and the flexibility of use and versatility of space expected from a high class wagon – a showroom quality “shooting brake” with 195kW performance at a fraction the cost of the best-of-both-worlds functionality normally associated with such models. (read more...)
The Alfa Romeo Spider is back!
February 1, 2006 One of the most famous automotive names of all time, the Alfa Romeo Spider, will be re-born at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show (28 February to 12 March 2006) with the launch of the all-new Alfa Romeo Spider. Like its predecessors, the Giulietta Spider of the 1950s and the 1990s Alfa Romeo Spider, the new Alfa Romeo Spider is a unique blend of style, performance and, considering what it offers, affordability, with cutting edge solutions in terms of mechanical specifications, including for the first time a four wheel drive Alfa Spider. (read more...)
Kia and Muller make it three from three on ice
February 1, 2006 Yvan Muller and his Kia Rio took sufficient points in the final competitive round of the Andros Trophy in the French Alps to make it three out of three championship wins in successive years. The domination of France’s pre-eminent motorsport championship by Muller and the Rio was complete – despite Muller carrying more weight-penalty ballast as the twice-previous championship winner – and Muller comprehensively saw off last minute challenges from former F1 Grand Prix World Champion Alain Prost in a Toyota, Jean-Phillipe Dayraut in a BMW and Franck Lagorce in a Fiat. (read more...)
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