Katya Mikova – Page 2 – Automobiles Review

ED Design Torq Concept: Autonomous and with no Windows?

The Italian sports car design house ED Design has released the first teaser image of its Torq concept which is scheduled to make its first global appearance at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The company is known for its for conceptual vehicles created for brands such as Alfa Romeo, Maserati and even Ferrari! This time around, we are presented with ED Design newest project which is thought to be a two-seat racer.

The vague image doesn’t depict much but at least we have managed to gather some data. Believed to be fitted with an electric drivetrain, the racer is further considered to deliver something new to the automotive world. Interestingly enough, being as optimistic as possible, the creators of the car hope that some day in the future ED Design Torq Concept will see the bright light of its construction and will take part in one-make series. Whether or not this is possible, no one can predict from now.

Details are scarce but there is another strange fact known for sure. The supercar will be an autonomous vehicle, meaning that there won’t be the need of a driver. Additionally, the innovatively dynamic design becomes even more mysterious because of the lack of any windows… or at least this is what we can judge from the teaser.

No further details have been shared so far but to us the car seems to be just… simply… not promising enough. What is your opinion?

Source: Auto-motor-sport

February 24, 2015

Only G-Class Can Beat a G-Class!

Mercedes-Benz revealed more details about the G 500 4×4² which is a model brother of the Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6×6. Suitable for extreme condition terrains, the concept vehicle looks so powerful and domineering that even the Apocalypse wouldn’t be able to stop its march! In terms of power, it is provided by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that stands out with extreme delivery of horses! The unit is capable of generating 422 hp (310 kW). Mercedes stayed tight-lipped regarding any performance specifications but mentioned that the new engine would meet the Euro 6 emission standards.

Nevertheless, what we know is that the G 500 4×4² benefits from an all-wheel drive with portal axles and a returned suspension with two spring/damper struts on every wheel. The off-road capabilities are perfected thanks to the 450mm of ground clearance, a fording depth of 1000 mm and 52° and 54° angle of approach and departure.

Following the path of its sibling, Mercedes-Benz G 500 4×4² receives an AMG front bumper, carbon fiber flares, a roof-mounted LED light bar, stainless steel underbody guards and an impressive side exhaust. Moreover, the aggressive look of the vehicle is further characterized by a 22-inch 325/55 R 22-sized wheels fitted with off-road tires. For those who want to use the G 500 4×4² off the beaten track, there are off-road 37×12.5×18-inch MT tires available as an option too.

Mercedes hasn’t released any images of the interior but said that the striking G 500 4×4² will impress with attractive leather seats adorned with DYNAMICA diamond-designed quilting. Additionally, there is DINAMICA trim for the roof liner and the body pillars.

According to the company, a production variant might or might not be taken into consideration, depending on the reaction which show car will receive.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

February 23, 2015

Meet Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Coupe Based on Mercedes S63

Have you ever wondered which is the world’s most powerful all-wheel-drive coupe which is so fast that it could blow away your hat along with your head? Well, this is the Brabus 850 6.0 Biturbo Coupe based on the Mercedes S 63. Set to make its official appearance at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the two-door car conveys a sophisticatedly gritty feel of strength, durability and perfected design all of which captivate one’s senses. Very often the guys at Brabus go to extremes in their attempts to create something unseen and even undreamed-for before! With this new project, the tuner is more than ready to set new benchmarks and offer unmeasured exclusivity on a plate to the automotive industry which always craves for more.

Speaking of extremes, Brabus hardly know what limits means in terms of power. For the company the impossible becomes possible, the exciting becomes more exciting and the grandiose becomes even more grandiose! So the new Biturbo Coupe is fed with a modified 8-cylinder twin turbo engine and new turbocharges that have larger compressor units and revised exhaust manifolds. But that is not everything: Brabus 850 intake module and ECU are available too!

What exactly is the result of these modifications? Precisely – a power output that can make your heart beat faster! Thus, the modified unit generates 850 HP (625 kW) at 5,400 rpm and 1,450 Nm (1,069 lb-ft), available between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm! The top speed is electronically limited to 350 km/h (217 mph). Performance wise, thanks to mighty engine, the car can speed up from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3.5 seconds, while the 0-200 km/h (124 mph) run can be covered in 9.4 seconds.

Outwardly, the striking design is characterized by a redesigned front bumper with larger air intakes that have carbon fiber elements. At the reat we see a new diffuser and a subtle carbon rear spoiler. Brabus Monoblock wheels with sizes varying from 18 to 22 inches add a finishing touch to the exterior.

The interior completes the black paint finish found on the outside. The cabin receives prominent Brabus leather upholstery which transforms the seats, the door panels and the dashboard and lend them sportier and more elegant virtues. Finally, copper-colored seams and piping add a contrasting tone of rigidness and originality.

Source: Brabus

February 23, 2015

2015 Toyota Auris Looks Like a Shark!

Toyota shared that the Corolla hatch, also known as Auris in Europe, is going to premiere with refreshed exterior and interior looks. This will happen during the Geneva Motor Show next month. There is an extra dose of prestige added to the outside, reworked cabin and a saturated feel of comfort as well as safety. As you can see, the front end of the 2015 Toyota Auris facelift is highlighted by a number of cosmetic changes. They can be viewed when we cast a closer look at the grille.

More sharply–looking headlights and revised bumper make an impression too. But what an impression … To be honest this new design makes the front fascia look like the mouth of a shark, doesn’t it?

The automaker hasn’t released any images that show the back of the car but we expect some minor tweaks there. Perhaps a slightly reworked rear bumper and new taillights? It doesn’t sound too bad at all especially when we take into consideration the sort of plain and not so attractive appearance of the hatch.

When we talk about the interior we can notice that the cabin still has this conservative and kind of modest design of the previous generation. Nevertheless, some glossy black elements have been added so that the dashboard can look less dull and boring. Different air vents are also presented. Still, with such minimal alterations I highly doubt that Auris will be viewed as a big competitor in the compact segment.

Oh, yes, Toyota also said that customers can benefit from better fuel efficiency thanks to the 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that has a total power output of 140 hp (103 kW). How do you think? Does this make a huge difference?

Source: Toyota

February 23, 2015

Idris Elba Tests Jaguar XE’s Technology and Economical Credentials [VIDEO]

It’s a driver-focused car! It is the car injected with sophistication, dynamism and spectacular strength! It is the ultimate car! This is the Jaguar XE! On this very day, the automaker showed the final film consisting of several short videos which documented Idris Elba’s epic road trip from London to Berlin in this impressive vehicle.

Firstly, the journey begins with XE powered by 2.0-litre i4 diesel which delivers 163 PS (120 kW). Driving this great car, the actor tried to push its eminent technology and economical credentials to the very limit by covering 750 miles (1200 km). Despite the fact that the road trip took Elba through challenging winter weather conditions in Europe, the real world car turned out to be… well, a real world car. Still achieving 65 mpg, the fitted with winter tires sedan proved to be a head-turner!

Idris also drove a Jaguar XE S with the racing legend Martin Brundle at Spa Francorchamps racing circuit in Belgium. The XE S is powered by a 3.0-litre petrol power unit which is capable of delivering 340 PS (250 kW).

750 Miles (1200 KM) and three days later, Idris arrived at a glamorous Jaguar party at Berlin’s Umspannwerk where the Berlin launch of the XE was celebrated. The actor very impressively parked the sports saloon right onto the stage, stunning 200 VIP guests. Take a look into his journey by watching the video below and tell us what you think.

httpv://youtu.be/7EaM8EVC7S4

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Jaguar

February 23, 2015

Police in Dubai Shows Off with Brabus 700 Widestar [VIDEO]

Dubai. Police. City chase. Brabus Mercedes-Benz G-Class B63S 700 Widestar. When we combine all of these elements together, we get something truly spectacular. After the introduction of Brabus’ latest project that is based on Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG, catching the bad guy has been taken to another level. This is because driving something that cool can really make him or her stop running just to have a glimpse of the police car. In a recently-uploaded video, we are enabled to see the Widestar, or should I said “the Wild Star”, on the move, demonstrating what greatness on four wheels means. Literally.

The Dubai Police Edition arrives with legal and safely tuned attributes which definitely make an out-loud statement when the police is cruising around the streets of the luxury city. This car gets the standard B63S 700 updates which are applied to the 5.5-litre V8 bi-turbo engine.

The Brabus package boosts the power unit to 700 HP (515 kW) at 5,300 rpm and electronically limited 960 Nm (708 lb-ft) of maximum torque at 2,000 rpm. Retaining the AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic allows the car to cover the 0-100 km/h run in the impressive 4.9 seconds. Top speed is limited to 300 km/h.

Designed to impress, because obviously everything in Dubai have it as a key goal, Mercedes-Benz G-Class B63S 700 Widestar Dubai Police can really set new standards among cars with such purposes. The exterior is made better with the in-house Widestar full body kit and the gigantic 23″ Platinum Edition monoblock forged wheels. On a side note, as it seems, the ultimate splendor of these automobiles can turn policemen into celebrities as well. Attention. Pictures. Light. And action! Just check out the video to see more.

httpv://youtu.be/JUlbcuy1ao0

Video Source: Dubai Police via Youtube

February 20, 2015

Why Vorsteiner BMW F32 435i Has More Rugged Appearance?

The American tuner car manufacturer Vorsteiner is introducing its latest lightweight flow forged alloy technology which is a real treasure when it comes to safety, design, quality and performance. Even though this new technology is approximately 25% lighter compared to a conventional cast construction, it is capable of demonstrating exceptional strength, balance and resistance. A model that takes advantage of these lightweight wheels is the BMW F32 435i. The car arrives with 300 untamed horses (223 kW) and a maximum torque of 406 Nm (300 lb-ft).

This specially fitted BMW is displayed in Carbon Graphite double five spokes wheels that come in dimensions of 20×8.5 inches at the front and 20×10 inches at the rear. The use of a standard profile in the front and concave profile in the rear is a recipe for absolute clearance even when we talk about the largest big brake kits in the market nowadays.

But how does the new technology work? Taking into consideration every possible detail, the unique Vorsteiner flow forged technology is placed into a steel rim mold and prepped to be processed. After that, there is an extensive heat and pressure applied by using three individually shaped rollers.

They strengthen the barrel to the exact width and density, thus forming stronger rims without using too much material. Finally, the wheels have higher impact tolerance and weigh less thanks to the molecular mixture of the aluminum. Precisely, the front alloys have a mass index of 21.4lb, while those at the back weigh 22lbs.

At last, Vorsteiner ensured that their V-FF 103 are accompanied by the appropriate tyres. So they have chosen the Pirelli P Zero for the task and the sizes 245/30/20 and 275/30/20 for the front and rear, respectively.

Source: Vorsteiner

February 20, 2015

Kia cee’d GT Line with Improved Turbo Engine

Kia is introducing the new Cee’d which is set to premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, along with a new turbocharged engine and seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. The car benefits from a number of visual enhancements as well. Conventional Cee’d GT, Kia Pro_cee’d GT and Cee’d SW can take advantage of theses sporty specifications, too.

For the GT Line, the company is presenting its all-new 1.0-litre ‘T-GDi’ power unit. This is a downsized, three-cylinder engine designed to provide better fuel consumption and emissions while offering willing performance and excellent responses to driver input. Making its premiere in Europe, this is the first representative of the upcoming range of Kia’s downsized engines.

Exact figures? The 1.0-litre T-GDi unit generates 120 hp (88 kW) and a maximum torque of 172 Nm (127 lb-ft). Additionally, the 1.0-litre cee’d GT Line comes with Kia’s fuel-saving ISG system as standard, available with the six-speed manual transmission.

A more powerful variant is the cee’d’s 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engine. Thanks to some notable alterations this one gets a power increase from 128 to 133 hp (98 kW) and torque from 265 to 285 Nm (210 lb-ft).

Finally, the cee’d GT Line also comes with a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox which was seen for the first time on the facelifted Hyundai i30. This model will be offered with the 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engine, generating 133 hp. The DCT is capable of handling torque outputs up to 300 Nm which is more than the capacity of the replaced six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

Regarding the styling, the cee’d GT Line is refreshed by 17-inch alloy wheels, ice cube LED daytime running lights, angrier front and rear bumpers and dual exhaust setup. Moreover, there are also GT side sill moldings and LED taillights.

Inside, the cabin is said to have received a more stylish upholstery in gray, white and black that includes eye-catching grey stitching, GT Line logos, piano black accents, aluminum pedals and GT-developed leather steering wheel.

The impressive Kia cee’d GT Line will be available in the European dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2015.

$2015 KIA cee\'d GT Line$

Source: Kia

February 20, 2015

Apple Becomes a Car Maker? Yes, First EV to be born in 2020

What happens when the ultimate producer of top-class electronics decide to become a car maker? The future hits us before the proper time has come! That’s what happens. Now the technological giant Apple Inc. is planning to start a production of an electric car as early as 2020. Originally, a typical timeframe for automakers to create a brand-new car can vary from five to seven years.

Apple’s goal to present the futuristic electric vehicle by 2020 has been set on the table and it demonstrates sufficient and unquestioned determination. After all it will tease and challenge Tesla, right? This is something that propels the company to work even harder on completing the mission. And maybe, just maybe, the billions and trillions of dollars will contribute a lot to the success of the technology-maker in this sector.

This kind of unexpected foray into the automobile industry resembles the previous attempts of Apple to dig its way and break into other spheres. We all know that it wasn’t the pioneer that first made a highly efficient smartphone or a personal computer.

What Apple did, though, was introducing a ground-breaking product which reformed our perceptions regarding these categories. So maybe even this time it will finish the project in a manner that will transform our vision about the fast-progressing automotive world, don’t you think?

Source: fakti.bg

February 20, 2015

See 2016 Audi R8 Prototype Rocketing Around a Racetrack! [VIDEO]

Audi is gathering forces and is getting ready to finally take the wraps off of its long-awaited machine – 2016Audi R8. So far we managed to collect some pieces from the puzzle, put them together and envisioned the new model… Vaguely. A teaser image here, spy shots there urge people to try to get their hands on yet another detail about the car. Now, in order to make our blood pressure escalate, the carmaker is releasing… a video of a camouflaged R8 which is hitting the track.

What is the best way to calculate the capabilities of a brand-new supercar? By seeing it catapulting, ricocheting, drifting and flying around a racetrack of course! Audi works driver Frank Stippler took a prototype of this beast called Audi R8 for a ripping-the-air spin around Ascari. He pointed out that “the new car is a lot closer to the GT3 race car than ever before.” And this is good news, isn’t it?

But what does the car run on? The new Audi is going to be fitted with a naturally-aspirated V10 engine which shows off with 540 HP (397 kW) and a maximum torque of 541 Nm (399 lb.-ft.) of torque or a V10 Plus unit that grinds out 610 horses (449 kW) and 558 Nm (412 lb.-ft.) of peak torque. The less powerfull model will be able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.5 seconds before hitting a top speed of 200 mph, while the more powerful version will cover this run in 3.2 seconds, thus maxing out 206 mph.

Check out the video bellow and tell us what you think. Is this going to be the most fascinating Audi so far?

httpv://youtu.be/KImjA9q1VDU

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Audi

February 20, 2015

New Koenigsegg Regera Teased Again

Earlier this month, the supercar manufacturer from Sweden, Koenigsegg, announced that they are planning to reveal a new RS variant of their Agera during the upcoming 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Now we are given a teaser image which supplies us with even more questions than answers. From a visional standpoint, the only thing that we can see is part of the car’s front bumper. Moreover, the vehicle will feature a brand new headlight design.

Previously it has been reported that the new Koenigsegg Regera is going to be a hell of a ‘megacar’ similar to the One:1 which is the most powerful production car for the time being. If this turns out to be the absolute truth, we will be able to see yet another mighty automotive beast which will be dazzling with at least 1,341 HP. Finally, Koenigsegg claims that the Regera will be packed with extensive luxurious flavor and revolutionary technology.

Just as a reminder, Koenigsegg One:1 has a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 aluminum engine – 1,341 HP (986 kW) and 1,371 Nm (1,011 lb-ft) at 6,000RPM. The curb weight is exactly 1,341 kg (2,956 lbs). The engine is mated to a dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox sending the power to an electronic differential at the rear wheels. 0-400 km/h in 20.0 seconds. Additionally, the engine can run on regular gasoline, as well as with E85 biofuel and race fuel.

We’ll have more information soon!

Source: worldcarfans

February 19, 2015

First Image of Infiniti QX30 Concept is Released!

To our pleasant surprise, Infiniti decided to reveal the first image of the QX30 Concept! Set to make its world premiere at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show, the crossover concept seems to show a strong indication of commitment, style and strength.

Very often this brand has tried to push the boundaries between what is possible and what is impossible and so far it hasn’t disappointed us. On the contrary. The final results have always turned out to be exclusively acceptable. Now the Infiniti QX30 Concept is born with a remarkably sleek design which combines the lines of a coupe with subtle features of a crossover. Looking ready for action and still kind of smooth, it encapsulates a dynamic spirit which promises to deliver uncompromising capabilities.

Designed to make travelers feel safe, comfortable and at ease, this concept vehicle adopts a theme of “stylish protection.” This becomes apparent from nose to tail. The SUV-like look is characterized by pronounced aluminium-trimmed front bumper and an intriguingly-sculptured rear with a tough skid plate that has nuanced graphics.

The QX30 Concept’s sophisticated exterior proportions “are composed of bold sections, deep upward cuts, and intersecting contours to create Infiniti’s hallmark “dual wave” effect. The aerodynamic design accentuates its athletic silhouette, showcasing its confident capability. Carbon fibre in the lower cladding and roof-bar supports adds to the car’s lightweight performance character.” Finally, 21-inch wheels and larger profile tires contribute to the stable stance of the crossover too.

For now, the automaker hasn’t shared any information regarding the performance specifics of the soon-to-debut QX30 but stay tuned to find out more very soon!

Source: Infiniti

February 19, 2015

Author: Katya Mikova