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Automotive
Abarth reborn – the return of the scorpion!
By Mike Hanlon
March 4, 2007 Fiat is relaunching one of the motor industry’s legendary performance and sporting car brands this week at the Geneva International Motor Show, when it takes the wraps off its new Grande Punto Abarth, the first of a new range of high performance and sporting Fiats, as well as performance and sporting kits for the Fiat range. Fiat supremo, Luca de Meo, decided some time ago that Abarth had to be much more than a badge attached to certain models in the Fiat range. So a new Abarth division of the company will run its own racing and rally teams, starting with the successful Grande Punto Abarth S2000, which won both the Italian and European Rally Championship titles last year, in its debut season. The new Abarth division will also prepare racing and rally cars for customers in a wide range of series and one make championships. For road car customers, Abarth will develop new models for the Fiat range, starting with the Grande Punto Abarth, as well as developing performance and styling packages for the owners of existing Fiat products. Read More
Subaru's new Impreza WRC contender
By Mike Hanlon
March 4, 2007 The Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) has released details of the latest evolution of its rally challenger, the Impreza WRC2007, which will make its competitive debut in the fourth WRC round of 2007 next weekend at Rally Mexico in the hands of Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson. Although outwardly similar to its predecessor, a number of key engineering improvements have justified the production of a new car for the remainder of this season. As the basis of a rally winning machine, few cars can match the competitive pedigree of the. First launched in 1992, the Impreza road car has developed in tandem with its rallying counterpart and over the last 13 seasons, has scored 46 WRC victories and lessons learned on the rally stages have been fed back into the production model. The targets were to produce a car with a more responsive front end with better traction and more balanced tyre wear, particularly on longer stages. To achieve that, SWRT applied a different philosophy into areas such as weight distribution, suspension geometry and differential set-ups. Read More
Flower Power - Koenigsegg's 1018 bhp biofuel-burning CCXR
By Mike Hanlon
March 3, 2007 When Bugatti unveiled the Veyron supercar, many people thought the ongoing contests for the world’s fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car in history were over – many motoring scribes wrote that due to increasing environmental concerns and the immense cost of developing a faster car, we’d never see the like of it again. It’s figure of 1001 bhp so completely eclipsed the previous best-of-breed cars such as the Koenigsegg CCX's 806 bhp that quite realistically, the game appeared to be over. Volkswagen spent so much money developing the Veyron, that although the car sells for UKP840,000 (US$1,630,000), when the all-up cost of development is added, they should be charging roughly UKP 5 million (US$9,700,000) per vehicle just to break even. No other manufacturer would be prepared to take a hit like that. Everything about the Veyron, from its 64 valve, quad turbocharger, W16 (16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders) 8.0 litre engine, it’s dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled seven speed manual transmission, to its remarkable brakes are thoroughly engineered to enable the 1890 kg projectile to travel safely at over 400 km/h. Now Koenigsegg has surpassed the Bugatti’s power output, and is likely to threaten the Veyron’s 407 km/h top speed too. In a wonderful example of how a small goal-focussed team can achieve the seemingly unattainable, Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg has announced details of a new variant of its 806 bhp CCX which will run Biofuel. Due to the fact that the biofuel has higher octane and better cooling characteristics, the power has gone up 25% to 1018 bhp at 7200 rpm and torque is up 10% to 1060 nm at 6100 rpm, compared to the “standard” CCX’s 806 bhp at 6,900 rpm and 920 Nm at 5,700 rpm. Even though the low and exclusive production volume of Koenigsegg is hardly likely to have a measurable impact on the Co2 problem faced by global society, it is an impressive statement that a small company can afford to develop environmentally focussed solutions. Read More
The EDAG LUV - a modular vehicle concept with maritime flair
By Mike Hanlon
March 2, 2007 As we previewed last month, EDAG’s latest concept car will be making its first appearance on March 6 in Geneva – the “EDAG LUV”. The design concept of the “LUV” is based on an luxury-class SUV and incorporates a maritime look from bow to stern: oiled teakwood on the hood, as the flooring on the interior, and on the elegant cargo area conveys a maritime flair. But the “EDAG LUV” is a real eye-catcher in other respects as well: the cargo area, behind the two rows of seats with plenty of room for 5 passengers, has been outfitted with teakwood and distinctly resembles a quarterdeck – in keeping with the maritime look of the concept car. Read More
US$660,000 Tramontana supercar set to begin production
By Mike Hanlon
February 28, 2007 The law of averages suggests the gestation period for a new elite sportscar marque ranges from two to three years between first sighting and available product, and the Tramontana looks set to fall well within this time-frame despite liberal lashings of leading edge technologies. First seen two years ago at the Geneva Motor Show, the final production version will be seen at this year’s show and six are planned for production before the end of the year. a.d.Tramontana is located on the Costa Brava of North-eastern Spain and is one of the new generation of entrepreneurial automotive engineering companies seeking to apply creativity and new technologies to all aspects of automotive design and manufacturing - the company even has a modern distribution model for its bespoke services. Its avowed intention is to create a brand that is synonymous with extreme quality – the equivalent of a Koennigsegg, Pagani and Spyker in performance terms and the modern day flagbearer of Spanish automotive excellence in the same vein as Hispano Suiza or the Pegaso Z-102. The company’s first product is very exciting – the Tramontana G-07 – make a note of that name because we suspect it’ll fit right in amongst the aforementioned elite. It is a combination of advanced materials (Carbon, titanium, specially treated wood, exotic leathers and gold) and the kind of exquisite craftsmanship and fine detail that is incredibly rare these days. It doesn’t really have a fixed price because every car is custom made – a one off vehicle for which you are not only measured as if for a Saville Row suit, but the company’s aim is to craft a vehicle that perfectly fits its owner’s every ergonomic requirement. Each year from 2008, just a dozen cars will be made, and we’re tipping that very few customers will be opting for the base level vehicle which retails for US$660,000. Read More
New 370 km/h ultra-high performance Pirelli PZero
By Mike Hanlon
February 28, 2007 Founded in 1872, Pirelli is known variously around the world for its Pirelli International Award (involving the communication of Science & Technology), its sponsorship of Italian Soccer Club Internazionale and the Brazilian soccer club Palmeiras, the Pirelli Tower in Milan, its highly-sought-after calendars and more recently its short films starring Uma Thurman, but mainly because of its tyres. To celebrate 100 years of motorsport, the Italian icon has launched its most technologically advanced ultra-high performance tyre ever - the P Zero. The tyre features a new tread pattern, innovative compounds and structure, and is protected by five patents. It is already being fitted to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo, the Audi R8 and S8, the Aston Martin DB9, the Maserati Quattroporte, the Jaguar XK, the Mercedes AMG, and will shortly appear on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and the hottest Porsche and BMW models. Read More
Mercedes-Benz builds new armoured Pullman State Limousine
By Mike Hanlon
February 27, 2007 Mercedes-Benz is developing a new, armoured luxury limousine designed to carry business tycoons, government ministers, monarchs and heads of state. The new Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman Limousine will be based on the extended wheelbase S 600 to provide a level of roominess worthy of its high-ranking occupants. Originally, the term “Pullman” derived from the luxuriously appointed rail cars produced by the American Pullman Palace Car Company before it was borrowed to describe Mercedes-Benz cars with an extra-long wheelbase and an extremely large passenger compartment in the rear. The first Mercedes-Benz to be factory-fitted with armoured protection was the 1928 W 08/460 Nurburg model which was modified to create the first Popemobile for Pope Pius XI in 1930. Similarly, heads of state such as Emperor Wilhelm II and Emperor Hirohito became customers during the thirties with the creation of the 770K, beginning a long lineage of Pullmans which were used to safely transport heads of State. Power is provided by a 5513cc twelve-cylinder biturbo engine with an output of 380kW/517 hp and an impressive peak torque of 830 Nm. The first editions of the new Mercedes-Benz State Limousine are due to be delivered in late 2008 with a full range of options including a fully equipped mobile office, all the communications and entertainment equipment required plus secure, comfortable, individually-styled surroundings for discreet meetings. Read More
800 MotoGP bikes already faster than last year’s 1000s
By Mike Hanlon
February 26, 2007 It’s ironic indeed that the premier motorcycle roadracing class MotoGP decided to cut its engine capacities to 800cc from 1000cc for safety reasons. The need to develop new machinery for the 2007 season has seen manufacturers dig deep into their technological bag of tricks, and culminated yesterday when the first shots were fired under the new 800cc engine format. Each year the riders finish testing and are given one 40 minute session to post the fastest time, with the fastest walking away with the BMW M award, in this case in the form of vehicle. This year testing finale was held yesterday at the Spanish circuit of Jerez. In the closing stages of the session Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi lapped in 1’38.394, almost seven-tenths of a second faster than Capirossi’s 2006 pole time on the Ducati 1000cc Desmosedici with both Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Rossi’s Yamaha teammate Colin Edwards bettering Caprirossi’s time too. Lap records can only be set in a race, not in practice, but the lap record on a 1000cc MotoGP bike was set in 2005 when Rossi lapped in 1’40.596 – yesterday, 15 riders on six different makes of 800cc machines lapped faster than the 1000cc lap record. Read More
Audi A5/S5 revealed
By Mike Hanlon
February 25, 2007 Audi is launching a fascinating new model series for its entry into a highly emotionally charged segment of the market. The A5 successfully unites the acclaimed Audi design language and thrilling dynamic driving performance, and combines generous refinement with the brand’s characteristic quality and sophistication. Its progressive design gives the new coupé an appearance that is both elegant and dynamic. With its muscular FSI and TDI engines, its entirely newly developed high-precision running gear, and a raft of innovative, luxury-class equipment features, the Audi A5 has been crafted to be a modern grand tourer, a touring coupé in the best tradition. The Audi S5 is an extra sporty offering to complete the new series. A powerful V8 FSI engine gives the S5 a dynamic edge, which underscores its athletically accentuated design. The A5 and S5 are available to order from March 2007 with the first vehicles due for delivery from June. Read More
The 1220 kg 800 bhp 2007 Gumpert Apollo
By Mike Hanlon
February 26, 2007 German manufacturer Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur is one of several new supercar makers to emerge in recent times. The first road car was shown at Geneva last year and a significantly revised version of the barely disguised racecar will emerge at this year’s Geneva show in early March. The EUR 295,500 (US$390,000) Gumpert apollo has an eight cylinder Biturbo Mittelmotor of Audi heritage that catapults the 1220 kg racecar from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.00 seconds and with 800 bhp available, it accelerates very quickly to its 360 km/h top speed. The acceleration afforded by such a light vehicle and such a powerful motor is at the outer limits of current four-wheeled performance. Its power-to-weight ratio of 0.66 bhp/kilogram is bested by only a handful of cars – such as the Koenigsegg CCX (0.68) and the current world record holder for 0-100-0 mph, the Ultima GTR. That puts it ahead of the Pagani Zonda F, Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari Enzo, Saleen S7 and Porsche Carrera GT and for some perspective, the apollo is almost twice as good (each horsepower has half as much weight to move) as the the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Ford GT and Lamborghini Murcielago. Read More
Kia ex_cee’d Cabrio Concept
By Mike Hanlon
February 23, 2007 Kia will debut an all-new ex_cee’d cabrio concept car at the 77th Salon de l’Automobiles in Geneva in March. Based on the new three-door cee’d hatchback, due to go into production at the Zilina factory in Slovakia from December, the ex_cee’d shares the same platform, but features all-new exterior panels and a powered folding fabric roof. By adopting a fabric roof, the ex_cee’d deliberately goes its own retro way rather than following the trend towards cabrios with folding metal roofs. Kia’s new Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer paid special attention to designing a classic cabrio with a traditional soft-top roof: “I’m convinced that the fabric roof will have a renaissance. We’ve all lived with the romantic idea of open-air driving for a long time and for me, the fabric roof is the quintessential element of a truly rewarding cabrio.” Read More
The 345 km/h Porsche 911 Turbo TechArt GTstreet
By Mike Hanlon
February 23, 2007 German company TechArt Automobildesign has created one of the fastest and most powerful street-legal sports cars available which will see its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show 2007. The new TechArt Gtstreet is based on the 997 series Porsche 911 Turbo and has an extraordinarily powerful engine, having tweaked the 3.6-liter twin-turbo boxer engine to develop 630 hp / 463 kW at 6,800 rpm, up from standard 480 hp / 353 kW. Peak torque has been increased from 620 Nm to 820 Nm at 4,500 rpm, giving it a 0–100 km/h time of 3.2 seconds, 0–200 km/h of 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 345 km/h. The body kit for the TechArt GTstreet was created in the wind tunnel, and offers an optimal symbiosis of aerodynamic downforce, minimized drag and striking design. Read More
Maserati GranTurismo breaks cover
By Mike Hanlon
February 23, 2007 The new Pininfarina-styled Maserati GranTurismo will make its worldwide debut at the Geneva Motorshow, continuing a tradition begun sixty years ago when the Trident Company unveiled its first Gran Turismo, also designed by the great Pinin Farina, at the 1947 Geneva Motorshow. The A6 was the first Maserati road car and only 58 vehicles were produced, but it helped establish one of the great automotive marques. The new Maserati GranTurismo is a high-performance sports car with a 405 bhp 4.2 liter V8 engine, and a weight distribution of 49% at the front and 51% at the rear. Though it has an automatic gearbox, it is equipped with an adaptive control system which adjusts the gear-shifting mode to the driving style and the driving conditions. The Maserati GranTurismo is built with particular attention to comfort, choice of materials and details and with enough room for four people. Read More
Bulging bumper could speed journey to computerised carriageways
By Mike Hanlon
February 22, 2007 Investigations by engineers at The University of Manchester into an extendable car bumper could help speed along the arrival of computer-controlled motorways. A paper presented at the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress and Exhibition recently offers a glimpse of how a high-tech, environmentally-friendly and efficient motorway network could operate safely in the future. The vision is that vehicles would not be independently driven, but regulated and controlled via information beamed from transmitters at the side of the road. Cars would also communicate and co-operate with the vehicles around them to ensure a safe and fast journey for everyone. Read More
Rare Mazda Cosmo 110B Rotary Coupe
By Mike Hanlon
February 22, 2007 Old, rare and beautiful cars are not normally associated with the contemporary Japanese Automotive Industry, but as time moves on, we’ll see more cars such as this fully-restored 1969 Mazda Cosmo 110B Coupe hitting the auction block. One of just over 1,500 examples that were virtually hand-built between 1967 and 1972, the Cosmo Series II has a special place in Japanese automotive history as Mazda’s first true high performance rotary-engined coupe and hence the progenitor of the current RX8. The first Cosmo launched at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show was the 110S, powered by a bi-rotor engine producing around 110hp and had a four speed gearbox. However the Series II introduced in July 1968 came with a longer wheelbase, a more powerful 130hp engine and five speed gearbox and was a serious performance car, capable of 190km/h and covering the standing 400 metres in around 15.8 seconds. Because of its collectibility and rarity, auctioneers Shannons expect the Cosmo to be sought after in the price range from AUD$96,000 (US$76,000) to AUD$116,000 (US$92,000) Read More
Ford sweeps Norway WRC and enlivens the title chase
By Mike Hanlon
February 19, 2007 With Sebastien Loeb’s almost total dominance in recent years, the World Rally Championship (WRC) has taken on a pall of inevitability, but as we all know, nothing lasts forever on the sporting field. Ford has been forging a dynasty of reliability and competitiveness at WRC level for decades, but had not won a manufacturers championship for 26 years until sheer weight of points finishes overcame Loeb and Citroen last year. This year the BP-Ford World Rally Team has started the season so well that it could be poised to challenge for the dirvers title in 2007 too. The team took a decisive lead in the WRC after dominating Rally Norway with the Focus RS World Rally Car to finish first and second yesterday. Mikko Hirvonen (driver first) and Jarmo Lehtinen (navigator second) led from start to finish to claim their second WRC victory, finishing 9.5sec ahead of team-mates and fellow Finns Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen. It was BP-Ford's second win in consecutive weeks after Gronholm triumphed in Sweden seven days ago and powered the reigning manufacturers' world champions into a 16 point lead after three of the 16 rounds. Gronholm moved to the head of the drivers' series, four points clear of Hirvonen. As always, the Scandinavian rounds with their spectacular yumps (high speeds on ice and snow with sudden dropaways lead to 100 mph flying cars) make for another awesome image library. Read More
Lotus Exige Police Car
By Mike Hanlon
February 16, 2007 Lotus Cars Australia has donated a special new recruit to the NSW Police Bankstown Local Area Command with the arrival of a high performance Lotus Exige. The lightweight, high performance Lotus Exige sports car will be used by Bankstown Local Area Command for a number of community policing roles over the next six months, including most importantly, helping to build better relations between police and local performance car enthusiasts and youth. The precedent for this co-operation with the police was set in the UK where Lotus forged a similar relationship with the Norfolk Constabulary lending the force a Lotus Elise to achieve similar goals. “Following the success of the co-operation with Norfolk Police we saw the chance to link up with NSW Police to help it achieve similar goals,” said Lotus’ Jon Stretton. “The Norfolk Police had similar challenges to Bankstown Local Area Command with performance car enthusiasts and in establishing stronger relations to help prevent unacceptable behaviour.” Read More
The plug-in hybrid carving three-wheeler from Venture
By Mike Hanlon
February 17, 2007 UPDATED IMAGES Venture Vehicles has formally announced in Los Angeles, the development of a revolutionary (not to mention very cool), 3-wheel, tilting, plug-in Hybrid vehicle under the working name VentureOne. It’s a two-passenger Hybrid vehicle that will get 100 mpg, accelerate from 0-60 in 6 seconds, will have a top speed of over 100 mph, while being priced at under US$20,000. In addition to the low-emission, flex-fuel Hybrid model, a zero-emission all-electric version is also being developed that will have an all-electric range of nearly 200 miles. A key feature of the VentureOne is the patented Dynamic Vehicle Control tilting technology from Dutch-based Carver Engineering that allows the body of the vehicle to actually tilt when going through turns while all three wheels maintain firm contact with the road. Carver already sells petrol-engined versions of the machine, and the Phiaro 3-wheeler is also closely based on the Carver. But a plug-in hybrid with a 200 mile electric range and sportscar performance is very enticing. Production is not scheduled until late 2008 and Venture Vehicles will initially offer two propulsion packages for the VentureOne: the hybrid E50 and Q100, and all-electric Venture EV model. The US$23,000 all-electric model will top the range while the E50 hybrid will sell for US$18,000 and the Q100 hybrid is expected to be priced under US$20,000. Read More
Rinspeed eXasis Concept Car: glass-free transparency
By Mike Hanlon
February 16, 2007 Swiss company Rinspeed’s innovation in automotive design has graced our pages many times, each concept car seeking to break the mould, explore new technologies and expand thinking about out primary conveyance, the automobile. His latest concept car designed and built in conjunction with Bayer MaterialScience, is drivable "glass" car with a completely transparent body and floor made of Makrolon. To be shown for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show, 40 years after Bayer presented the first "all-plastic car" in 1967 at the K67 Plastics Fair in Germany, the eXasis is a real eye-catcher with nothing to hide. The outer Makrolon shell, moulded by the Swiss firm Mecaplex and coated with a tinge of yellow by the German hard coatings specialist, KRD, reveals the vehicle's load-bearing aluminium chassis. The chassis looks as if it has been cut from a solid piece of material, and in fact the bulkheads are. Read More
Volvo starts project with hybrid-drive garbage vehicles
By Mike Hanlon
February 16, 2007 Volvo is to receive a SEK 9.8 million grant forom the Swedish Energy Agency in support of a hybrid technology development project for heavy vehicles. The project involves development and testing of hybrid technology in two garbage (refuse) collection trucks in Gothenburg and Stockholm. The aim of the project is to achieve fuel savings of up to 30%. Volvo has been working on research and development of hybrid technology for 20 years. Volvo’s tests and simulations show that hybrid drive for heavy vehicles is most suitable for vehicles forced during operations to make many starts and stops, such as buses, distribution trucks and refuse vehicles. In these cases, fuel savings can be up to 35%. Read More
FLUX wins Peugeot P.L.E.A.S.E. Design Competition
By Mike Hanlon
February 15, 2007 Driven by the desire to design a car that would give an enjoyable experience to each of its occupants, Mihai Panaitescu, a Romanian design student studying in Turin, created the Flux, the winning project in the fourth on-line Peugeot Design Competition. The runners up in second and third places were Njooy (Wesley Saikawa from Brazil, aged 27) and Allscape (Gustavo Ferrero from Venezuela, aged 29). At 20 years old, the youngest ever winner of the Peugeot Design Competition, Mihai submitted a project that fits in perfectly with its environment. The strength of the Peugeot Design competition has grown every time, and previous winners always create a lot of interest - the Moovie won in 2005, and created massive public interest when they built it. Read More
Horntones enables your car horn to play MP3s
By Mike Hanlon
February 14, 2007 We’re reserving judgement on this one, though it definitely deserves comment. Horntones is a Californian company which will begin selling its US$150 car horn customisation tool in April. Basically, it enables your car horn to play any sound file – music, voices, rude sounds, sirens … anything. You’ll also need to pony up the readies for an amplifier and the sounds are loaded to the unit via a USB flash drive. The Horntones unit can be installed in or sit atop the dash and holds eight sounds – more than enough to offend almost everybody, with the constabulary included no doubt. While we think that customising your car horn is kinda cool, we also think it’s kinda scarey that such tools can be sold to people without them undergoing an IQ test first - this device has the potential to cause uncertainty on the roads, or worse. Read More
Passat Bluemotion to debut at Geneva Motor Show
By Mike Hanlon
February 14, 2007 Volkswagen has released first details of the Passat BlueMotion ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show and is claiming that no other vehicle of its size consumes less fuel: the Passat BlueMotion saloon returns 55.4 mpg (5.1 litres per 100 km) and produces just 136 g/km of CO2. The first BlueMotion model was the Polo, launched in Germany in the mid-2006 which was such an immediate success its production figures have already been increased threefold. Read More
Dodge Demon Roadster Concept
By Mike Hanlon
February 14, 2007 To be shown for the first time at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva next month, the Dodge Demon concept is a compact, nimble “roadster with an attitude,” a balance of classic sports car proportion and simplicity blended with modern design and performance. Pitched as an attainable dream car, the Dodge Demon is powered by a 2.4 litre 172 bhp engine driving through a six-speed manual transmission. Read More
Can-Am Spyder roadster: three wheeled motorcycle
By Mike Hanlon
February 20, 2007 BRP has unveiled its first "on-road" vehicle, the 2008 Can-Am Spyder roadster. This three-wheel vehicle, with two wheels in the front and one in the rear, offers a completely new and stunning look. Powered by a proven 990cc V Twin engine designed and manufactured by BRP-Rotax, Spyder roadster, with its unique Y-architecture, can be described as part motorcycle and part convertible sports car. Later this year twelve selected American states and four Canadian provinces will offer Can-Am Spyder roadsters through BRP's existing dealer network, followed by France and Spain in early 2008. BRP will then expand its Can-Am Spyder offer to more North American states, Canadian provinces, Europe and other countries, and expects to be present worldwide within three to four years. Read More
Terotech
- November 21, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
