Katya Mikova – Page 27 – Automobiles Review

Game on: Volvo FH Truck Racing Against Koenigsegg One:1

Setting a massive eight-tonne Volvo FH against one of the fastest cars around the world, precisely Koenigsegg One:1, may sound a bit like a joke. Except that it is not. The question though is why? If it is for the spectacular part, no doubt it is going to be spectacular. Not every day you can see Hulk against The Flash! Nevertheless, the main reason for this “rivalry” is to test, once again, the I-Shift Dual Clutch gearbox fitted to the Volvo truck, and see if the FH can cover one lap of the Knutstorp race faster than the Koenigsegg can cover two laps.

Five red lights. They come on. They go off. And start! Now this is going to be one hell of a race!

The two vehicles set off and as they do so, Koenigsegg One:1 is already cutting the air with its high speed. The truck, on the other hand, is left to bite the dust behind. We can admit that looking at the video, we can see the Volvo truck struggling just a little bit… or more. Still, the performance makes the hair on your neck stand up. You nearly won, Volvo FH.

To clarify some of the vehicles’ characteristics, Volvo FH tractor unit delivers 540 horsepower and is equipped, as already pointed out, with I-Shift Dual Clutch. The functionality of its speed limiter has been previously removed in order to give the truck a slightly better chance against its opponent. Thanks to this, Volvo FH reached a speed of almost 130 km/h (80 mph) on the track race. Despite the slight helpful push, it is all about fair play after all, the outcome is still unpredictable.

The Koenigsegg One:1, on the other hand, is noted as one of the world’s mega-hyper-super-fast cars. Its name One:1 derives from the power 1360 PS and weight 360 kg. The exact ratio of 1:1 is a combination that no other sports car manufacturer has managed to achieve ever before. The engine of this Koenigsegg produces more than 1000 Nm of torque between 3000 and 7500 rpm and is capable of 0-100 km / h (0-62 mph) in less than 2 seconds.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlFiKo64kQw

Source: Volvo Trucks

November 13, 2014

Genuine Porsche 917 Racer at Classic Motor Show

Even though Steve McQueen was the leading actor in the film Le Mans, all of us are fully aware who the real star was. Or rather, not “who” but “what” and this is precisely the Porsche 917. And now the racer is going to appear at Classic Motor Show which takes place at the NEC from 14^th to 16^th of November.

The genuine Porsche 917 is generously supplied by Classic Autos of Kings Langley and is going to be transported from the fantastic Spa museum in Stavelot, Belgium to Birmingham. The car is chassis 917 013/034 and it took part in the 1970 movie where it was driven by the King of Cool or also known as Steve McQueen.

The movie-star, no, I’m not talking about the actor but about the Porsche, also scooped a range of highly significant race wins including the Daytona 24 Hours and Monza 1000km, and was driven by legends such as Derek Bell, Pedro Rodrîguez, Jo Siffert, Richard Attwood, Gijs van Lennep and Jackie Oliver.

Undoubtedly, due to its previous fame the 917 will be in the center of attention at the Classic Motor Show which means there will be a huge flow of onlookers, visitors and fans. The Classic & Sports Car editorial team will be available all weekend and will meet enthusiasts and show-goers who can take advantage of special subscription offers and a great variety of free gifts.

Finally, LAT Photographic will be joining Classic & Sports Car magazine on its stand this year.

Source: Classic Motor Show 2014

November 13, 2014

2016 Audi A6 and Audi A7 Model Lines Strike with Style at the 2015 LA Auto Show

Two of the Audi brand’s top selling vehicles, Audi A6 and A7, will debut at 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show with altered characteristics. They will present updated designs, technologies and more powerful engines. Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America said that; “The 2016 A6 and A7 model lines will continue to drive our momentum in the upper-premium market by elevating the standard for vehicle technology. These cars represent the perfect balance of beautiful design, efficiency and performance.”

The A6 is powered by 2.0T, 3.0T or TDI clean diesel engines, or a 2.0 liter four cylinder TFSI motor that develops 252 hp (187 kW) and 370 Nm (273 lb. ft.) of torque. Moreover, the car also has front-wheel drive with a seven-speed dual clutch S-tronic transmission that further improves its responsiveness and agility. The A7 is offered with a 3.0T engine, clean diesel TDI engine, as well as in a high-performance S7 or RS 7 versions. The latter variant has an eight speed automatic tiptronic transmission that helps it generate a powerful 560 hp (417 kW) and 699 Nm (516 lb. ft.) of torque.

Both of the cars demonstrate exclusive exterior appeal and interior luxury. Audi A6 and Audi A7 come with new front and rear looks which assert greater dynamic presence and better performance on the road. Alongside this, there is also a vibrant front fascia which includes new LED headlights, Singleframe grill and bumpers. The rear of each vehicle features LED taillights and new trapezoidal tailpipes. The sedans share similar inside view which is available in flint gray, cedar brown or an arras red selection that intertwines red thread into carbon fiber inserts. An extra feature of the interior is the ventilated comfort seats. They enable the car-occupants to choose from five different massage programs which transform long journeys into more pleasurable and convenient experiences.

Source: Audi

November 12, 2014

Mercedes-Maybach Returns

Two years after the German giant among automakers, Mercedes-Benz, decided to pull the plug on the production of its ultra-luxury Mercedes Maybach, the car is set to come back from the dead. Surprising or not, this is going to be a major step towards the dynamic progress of the brand and will definitely broaden the spectrum of its immense success. The reborn vehicle is officially badged Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and it will be presented at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show next week, as well as in Guangzhou, China.

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class will not only open a whole new chapter in the history of the brand known by its three-pointed star but it will also mark the beginning of innovative and highly cultivated standards in this segment. Additionally, this time around unlike before, Maybach will not be a separate brand. Instead, it will be set as yet another addition in the the top echelon model of the Mercedes’ S-Class sumptuous sedan.

Some of the features of the revived Maybach S-Class include extra space, special seats and craftily designed, glamorous interior that offers one-of-a-kind personality. The team of professionals wanted to feel special on the inside and they succeeded. The sedan illustrates a grown up model of a car which generates mightiness, luxury, reliability and comfort.

What is interesting is that Mercedes-Benz had plans to construct an ultra-premium sedan back in the mid-’90s. Yet, when the company’s opponents, BMW and Volkswagen-Audi, gained control of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, Mercedes’ plans were accelerated. Nevertheless, later on in 2012, Mercedes-Benz stopped making Maybach limousines after the vehicles, with a starting price of approximately $380,000, could not reach enough sales.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

November 12, 2014

2015 Volvo XC90 Unveils Improved Multi-filter that Enhances Interior Air Quality

CleanZone is a clever and unique approach developed by Volvo Cars which is designed to control the quality of the interior air and to provide a better driving environment through groundbreaking solutions for improved well-being and health. Drivers are enabled to breathe more easily because even the tiniest and microscopic dust particles will now be kept out.

The multi-filter which is created specifically for the SPA platform, will first appear in the all-new stylish Volvo XC90 in the beginning of 2015. The filter includes a larger design that intercepts more particulates and pollen. There is also a layer of active charcoal that serves the purpose to clean off every contaminants which can impact and harm the health of drivers.

As a result, every car that is equipped with the new enhanced multi-filter, shows reduced amount of “fine dust” particles which are smaller than 0,4 μm. Comparing this to a car without the filter, there is about 70% difference in terms of “fine dust” particles-presence. This is considered as a very pivotal improvement as studies have pointed out that dust particles smaller than 10 µm can cause a number of health problems, including lung infections and difficulties when it comes to breathing.

Nevertheless, the filter is just one of the elements that comprise the Volvo’s state-of-the-art Interior Air Quality System (IAQS). Another feature is a sensor that can scan the incoming air for noxious substances. If the level of harmful substances is too high (for example when driving through a tunnel), the car’s air intakes will automatically close. The multi-filter and sensor, then, prevent a number of harmful and irritating pollutants, from entering the vehicle. Such harmful material includes:

• Nitrogen oxides
• Hydrocarbons
• Ground-level ozone
• Gases and unpleasant odors

Source: Volvo

November 12, 2014

Qoros 3 City SUV to Debut at Guangzhou

The newly-established international Chinese-Israeli automotive manufacturing company Qoros has unveiled the first design sketches of its third production model called the Qoros 3 City SUV. The vehicle will make its premiere at the 12^th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition on 20th November 2014.

Qoros 3 City SUV carries a sense of a bigger premium metropolitan lifestyle. With its compactness it is as good for cruising around the city as for country-driving. The modern design of Qoros 3 along with its versatility are depicted by its excellent ground clearance, large wheels, and a more commanding driving position. The car is spacious enough with raised driving position and offers more safety, quality and control for a memorable experience on the road.

Moreover, the City SUV will be equipped with the brand’s innovative and award-winning QorosQloud™ connected services platform. This model will be another addition to the 3 Sedan and 3 Hatch in Qoros’ automobile family.

Interestingly enough, Qoros scans astonishing results after the debut of its first model Qoros 3 Sedan, which appeared for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013. The car was praised with the maximum five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests. It went on to gain the title of ‘the best performer of any car subjected to Euro NCAP’s crash tests in 2013’ by Euro NCAP.

The second production model, the Qoros 3 Hatch, debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014. It won an Honourable Mention in the prestigious Red Dot Awards in recognition of the quality of its design, and also scooped several more awards at the Beijing Motor Show in April 2014.

As it seems, for a new automobile manufacturer Qoros is doing pretty well.

Source: Qoros Auto

November 12, 2014

Jaguar Heritage to be Part of the 2014 Lancaster Insurance Classic Car Show

The Jaguar Heritage team is proud to attend the annual Lancaster Insurance Classic Car Motor Show from 14^th to 16^th of November, 2014. This will be the first year in which Jaguar Land Rover, represented by the recently established Jaguar Heritage department, will be taking part in the NEC season finale. Jaguar will put on display the professional competence of the Jaguar Heritage team conveyed in the new Jaguar Lightweight E-type continuation model and the extensive classic Jaguar parts offering.

As mentioned above, one of the beauties that are going to be presented is the so called ‘Car Zero’. This is the prototype for the six brand-new Jaguar Lightweight E-Types that are expected to be built by specialist engineers, highlighting the expert skills of the Jaguar Heritage workshop. The first models of the car in question were originally built in 1963. They were developed with aluminum bodies, aiming to exhibit better performance, with just 12 of the planned 18 cars being built. The six brand-new Lightweight E-types will carry the original series chassis numbers of the ‘missing’ models and will officially complete this exciting project.

In celebrating the 60th Anniversary of its iconic Le Mans winning D-type, Jaguar Heritage is more than pleased to introduce the sublime ‘Shortnose’ D-Type, chassis number 561, kindly loaned to Jaguar Land Rover by Adam Lindermann. The car became the Ecurie Ecosse team’s third, last, and latest ‘Shortnose’ D-Type. It was received brand-new from the Coventry factory in March 1956 and was registered ‘MWS 303’.

These Jaguar cars will be accompanied at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Car Show by new Jaguar Heritage branded goods which are now available for sale.

Source: Jaguar

November 11, 2014

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C: Motor Authority’s Best Car To Buy 2015

Picking the best car in no matter what category can be quite challenging, especially when there are so many notable models to choose from. Yet, according to Motor Authority, the best performance and luxury car of the year is the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C.

The all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C offers distinctive Italian style; an innovative 1750 all-aluminum, direct-injection, 1.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 237 HP and 258 lb. ft. of torque; a class-exclusive power-to-weight ratio due to its state-of-the-art carbon fiber monocoque influenced by Formula 1 and advanced technological solutions.

But what really helps this car stand out and what makes it so special as to win Motor Authority’s “Best Car to Buy” award? The answer is simple: everything. From style to performance, the Alfa Romeo 4C flaunts exclusive excellence and dominance. As Nelson Ireson, editor for Motor Authority points out; “The Alfa Romeo 4C is beautiful, exotic and incredibly fun to drive.” He also adds that; “It’s also a tremendous value, offering a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and turbocharged mid-engine layout around the price of much more ordinary sports cars, including some of those it beat out for the award this year, like the Ford Mustang, as well as more luxurious or practical alternatives like the Porsche Macan and Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG.”

Moreover, not lacking any qualities of a real master in its segment, the 4C does indeed possess 4 Cs for it is classy, creative, captivating and convenient. The craftsmanship of this Alfa Romeo encompasses innovative technologies and systems that are focused on ensuring better performance, quality and driving experience. The more aggressive edge adds up to the appealing sporty look of the car that is essentially embedded in the very nature of the brand.

Source: Alfa Romeo

November 11, 2014

Fiat 500X Receives New Exclusive Accessories and Services from Mopar

Not long ago we introduced you the new Fiat 500X which joined the Fiat 500 family. It has several engine ranges: a 110 hp (81 kW) 1.6-litre “E-torQ” engine with a five-speed manual gearbox or a 140 hp (103 kW) 1.4-litre Turbo MultiAir II petrol engine; 2.4-litre Tigershark engine which generates 170 hp (125 kW) 1.4-litre Turbo MultiAir II engine or the 184 hp (135 kW); 95 hp (70 kW) 1.3-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel with five-speed manual, and 120 hp (88 kW) 1.6-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel supplied with a six-speed manual gearbox; and finally, there is a four-wheel drive diesel option presented with the the 140 hp (103 kW) 2.0-litre MultiJet II turbo diesel engine.

Now the new compact crossover comes with more attractive improvements because FCA’s in-house tuner Mopar has designed exclusive accessories and services especially for it. The range of accessories is comprised of more than 100 extras, including 18″ alloy rims with their specific design and range of colours ((White, Red, Bronze and Greyge) and aesthetic treatments, the door mirror fairings in 9 colour options, original stickers for the roof, bonnet and side strips, door moulding inserts in four colours or chrome plated and many more. All of them, of course, come with uncompromised quality and high efficiency.

Furthermore, there is also a new “Xtra Care” pack from Mopar Vehicle Protection available for Fiat 500X which extends the manufacturer’s warranty up to five years (or 75,000 km ) and includes, for the same period, cover for scheduled maintenance costs. Finally, Fiat customers will be able to use a new Owner Handbook which contains significant and useful vehicle information in just 200 pages.

Source: Mopar

November 11, 2014

The New Kia Soul EV to be Sold Globally

There are two things guiding the new Kia Soul EV: it is eco-friendly and fun. Making its worldwide premiere at this week’s Chicago Auto Show, the Soul EV showcases the future in genuine style. The first all-electric, zero-emissions Kia model has a distinguishable look, bold design and practical interior with a unique twist.

First of all, the Soul EV is built with a fun-to-drive character. Its electric motor produces 109 HP (81.4 kW) in a combustion-engined model with 285 Nm of torque. The car is utterly smooth and silent thanks to the Virtual Engine Sound system at low speeds in both forward and reverse gears which warns pedestrians and cyclists that it is in a close distance. What is more, 2015 Kia Soul EV has a top speed of 90mph and can accelerate from 0-60mph in 10.8 seconds. This makes the vehicle absolutely stable and capable of keeping pace with the intense flow of the always busy city traffic.

A 96-cell, 27-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery keeps the motor alive. For better convenience, Kia can be charged to 80 percent in as little as 33 minutes using a 50-kW system. The Soul EV is fitted with three charging ports: two of the ports are for conventional AC charging, per SAE standard J1772, and the third is for CHAdeMo public stations.

The interior of the new Kia represents an amalgamation of simple luxury and exceptional comfort. The color schemes soothe and please the eye, thus complementing the overall driving feel. The friendly and spacious inside environment is comprised of striking two-tone colored cockpit, with smooth surfaces, original bio-based trim as well as padding and, finally, plain but stylish contours.

The new 2015 Kia Soul EV is priced at £24,995 after the government’s £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant.

Source: Kia

November 11, 2014

GKN Produces the Industry’s First Two-Speed eAxle for Hybrids and EVs

The global engineering group and world’s leading supplier of automobile driveline technologies and features GKN has created the first ever two-speed eAxle. This groundbreaking system has already entered production on the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

What GKN strives to achieve is developing an innovative and brand-new generation of electric drive vehicles which will result in giving customers better driving experience and more efficiency when on the road.

eAxle technology will provide the electric motor with an additional gear ratio that will improve the acceleration and the pure electric range and will also give significant advantage to the driving dynamics and CO₂ emissions. Another thing that GKN’s two-speed eAxle does is enabling the eMotor and all its related systems to be downsized, thus reducing weight and cost but increasing the levels of efficiency.

As opposed to the usual ingle-speed transmissions, GKN technology manages to break all of the established standards. Therefore the two-speed eAxle becomes the first one that empowers the electric drive with boosted vehicle’s performance across its entire speed range. The package weighs only 27kg and measures less than 325mm by 562mm by 313mm.

In order to make the system narrower, the shift mechanism is set on the input shaft instead of the intermediate shaft in the middle of the transmission. Nevertheless, despite the fact that the input shaft spins at up to 11,400rpm, GKN’s excellent software control of the eMotor and the synchro-actuation succeeds in comprehending a smooth gearshift no matter what the conditions are.

GKN deserves some ovation for it definitely sets new benchmarks in the industry in terms of convenience, efficiency, and economy.

Source: GKN

November 11, 2014

The New MINI Superleggera Vision Concept Car at 2014 LA Auto Show

Having been first seen on the shores of Lake Como at Villa D’Este in May, MINI Superleggera Concept car is a collaborative product between MINI and the Italian design and body manufacturing specialist Touring Superleggera. It is a modern interpretation of classic proportions of a two-seater combined with groundbreaking efficiency. With its aesthetic attractiveness, the compact roadster brings together British style and Italian flair.

The vehicle will be presented at the 2014 LA Auto Show and will exhibit all the necessary characteristics of MINI productions highlighted and synchronized with the typical contours and surface finish of Touring Superleggera. Being put together as a precise superleggera (which in translation means “superlight”), the two-seater gets an allow space-frame chassis covered in allow sheets. In relation to this, Louis de Fabribeckers, Head of design of Touring Superleggera, points out that: “In this car all unnecessary equipment or decoration is sacrificed, as performance is gained through lightness and efficiency of the bodywork and interior. The Italian touch is in the proportions and the typical waistline.”

The selection of high-quality materials in combination with the brilliantly manufactured surface contribute to the charismatic appeal of the MINI Superleggera Vision Concept car. The emotional design and lightweight construction shape a car which is truly unique.

Even though there is not much information about the powerplants, the MINI Superleggera sports car is said to be electric-powered which contributes to the pure driving experience. It is also really significant for, well… electric vehicles are pretty much the future, so when this car is finally produced and released for sale it might just be the next big thing on the market.

Source: MINI UK

November 10, 2014

Author: Katya Mikova