Lidia Todorova – Page 22 – Automobiles Review

Ford Offers Stealthier Appearance for the Police Interceptor Utility Vehicles

2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle front view Ford is offering updates to its Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle, thus making it harder for the lawbreakers to recognizing the profile of the car in their rearview mirrors. The means by which this is done is the (already factory-installed) front interior visor light bar. This actually provides a stealth appearance for police patrol vehicles.

There is another benefit of the interior visor light and it is the dark shade band at the top of the windshield, which has been replaced by clear glass when the light is ordered. As a result, this delivers better color visibility and brightness.

The new light comes with a limited warranty. In addition, when activated, it flashes bright – alternating red and blue bars through the top of the windshield. One can also program it to flash in red/red or blue/blue combinations.

2016 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle interior visor light

What is more, the new visor light includes bright-white “take down” and “scene” capabilities for better visibility. It can be also set to meet California Title 13 regulations, or it can be even programmed from full intensity down to 20 percent, thus delivering auto-dimming capability, too.

At last, Stephen Tyler, who is the Ford police marketing manager for North American fleet, lease and remarketing operations, expressed an opinion about the innovation: “Today, agencies typically use aftermarket interior visor light bars that are somewhat bulky and can obstruct the field of vision – especially for taller officers. This extremely low-profile unit is fully integrated where the headliner and top of the windshield meet, for tremendously improved driver visibility versus aftermarket alternatives.”

At the current moment, the interior visor light is now available to order as an option on the 2017 Ford Police Interceptor Utility. We are sure that it is a huge step forward in the development of utility vehicles that serve against crime.

Source: Ford

April 8, 2016

BBM Motorsport Tunes Chevy Corvette C7 to 700HP and 1233 Nm [w/videos]

BBM Motorsport Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 Front View BBM Motorsport has been working lately on the special Chevy Corvette C7 Z06. The result is impressive, starting with the new looks of the car and ending with the uprated engine output. In other words, they have managed to make an outstanding vehicle even more exceptional.

The current project is based on the fourth generation Z06 and to start with the appearance, what we see is a beautifully done vinyl wrapping done with the help of the car-wrapping specialist SL Premium. The bi-color theme is looking fantastic, isn’t it?

Then this stunning sports car received brand new front spoiler, which by the way can be ordered in either in carbon flash metallic finish or in visible carbon fiber. At the back we can spot the Capristo exhaust system made by BBM Motorsport which features CES-control system. Here an H-pipe replaces the main catalytic, and therefore the result is more aggressive sound.

BBM Motorsport Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 Rear View

Rounding out the exterior design modifications are the fancy Ultraleggera rims in 19- and 20-inches. They were wrapped with the appropriate low-profiles.

At last but not least is the addition of the air intake system as well as the software optimization. Combined, these two means result in an extra 40 HP and 30 lb-ft. The result is spectacular: Corvettes’ Z06 rear axle would now handle the impressive 700 HP (515 kW) and 1233 Nm (910 lb-ft) of torque.

Don’t miss these exclusive BBM Motorsport videos showing more about the exclusive Corvette C7 project.

httpv://youtu.be/KgHUFt9hH9E

httpv://youtu.be/1Ss40Wc3pec

Videos Source: YouTube
Source: BBM Motorsport

April 7, 2016

Guinness Says Nissan GT-R NISMO is the Fastest Drift Car

Nissan GT-R NISMO Side View Two days ago Nissan announced that the GT-R NISMO is about to make a brand new world record. Now, the Japanese company is absolutely ready to release the full details about the achievement. It has been officially revealed that the GT-R NISMO will be registered in the Guinness Book of Records with its fastest ever recorded drif! What’s only unfortunate is that we don’t have a video to show how the record was achieved.

The first thing we have to say about it is that the drift wasn’t done with a regular GT-R NISMO but with a specially-tuned GT-R from the 2016 model year, which was developed with the support and coordination of NISMO specialists. The company said that the car used for the stunt was uprated to 1,380 horsepower (1,105 kW). In addition, its entire power was adapted so it goes to the rear wheels. Before the special record event, the car was tested at Japan’s Fuji Speedway facility. Helping Nissan and NISMO was GReddy Trust.

Nissan GT-R NISMO front View

The second important detail here is that the car was driven by Masato Kawabata, who is the Japanese drift champion and title holder for the Japanese drifting series. Kawabata managed to drift at a speed of 189.49 miles per hour or 304.96 kilometers per hour and 30 degrees angle. Everything was performed during a special event at Fujairah International Airport, UAE.

There were also comments from the managing director of Nissan Middle East, Samir Cherfan, who said that thanks to this Guinness World Records title Nissan made international history for the fifth time in the Middle East. He then added that the “Nissan GT-R is one of the world’s most iconic supercars, proving time and again the incredible breadth of its capabilities, and has clearly demonstrated its performance leadership by beating the best drift cars out there”.

We only hope to get our hands on the footage soon. Stay tuned!

Source: Nissan

April 7, 2016

Nissan Skyline Announced “Most Iconic Japanese Car Ever”

Nissan Skyline Front View Nissan Skyline is undoubtedly one of the most praised cars ever created. And it has been about time to be announced as the most iconic Japanese model. This happens ahead of Europe’s biggest Japanese car celebration, Japfest, which will take place on April 24 at Silverstone.

How the unique car got its title? The organizers of the show carried out a survey among its social media followers. The aim of course was to see which performance car would be identified as the most iconic model in Japanese car culture. The result was undisputable: Nissan Skyline. If you wonder which the runner-up in the survey is, it was the Toyota Supra, while the Subaru Impreza WRX was in third position.

The Skyline was developed through many generations, each one better and faster than the previous. Since then, the name of the model quickly became synonymous with Japanese performance tuning. And if you are somewhere near Silverstone, you can go visit the Japfest – the real celebration of the Japanese performance car culture. At the event you will see more than 3,500 cars on display or on the circuit. This year, there will be more track time for the vehicles as well as more features than ever before.

Nissan Skyline Front View

But how did the Skyline became so popular? The first model was manufactured in 1957 as a luxury 4-door saloon or five door station wagon. It had nothing to do with the Skyline’s image from the 90’s. Then the first skyline to receive the GT-R badge came off the production line in February 1969, powered by its 2.0L inline 6 engine. The unit produced 160HP and would rev to more than 7000RPM. Note that this was an exceptional performance for the late 60’s.

Then the GT-R evolved till 1981 in terms of power and design… but not significantly. The C210 produced between 1977 and 1981 had even diesel version – 2,8 L inline NA diesel. Until then, the Skyline has not been positioned as a purely sports car… But this was about to change with the R30(1983-1985) and the R31(1985-1989), which were the first skylines to create the sporty image of the vehicle. They were also the first ones to have more than 200HP output. In their racing variants they did have more than 400HP to show-off with. And this is how it made history.

If you want to witness the Japfest, you can do that from April 24 at Silverstone.

Nissan Skyline Rear View - Lettering

Source: Nissan

April 7, 2016

Kia cee’d TCR Racer: First Official Images Revealed

Kia cee’d TCR first Render Kia Cee’d TCR Racer has just been revealed with couple of images. The South-Korean manufacturer has unveiled the images at its official social media accounts celebrating the first looks at the new TCR car. It has also announced that the new variant of cee’d will be built with the TCR specification, adding another model to the TCR lineup of cars.

The production ready Kia cee’d TCR will compete in the TCR International Series, and its rivals will be cars of the brands like the Volkswagen, Seat, Alfa Romeo and Honda. For Kia the entrance will be made during the second season of the TCR International Series. The first race was conducted already at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, in support of the F1’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

What can we see from the two images that Kia released? First and foremost, the car is based on the latest variant of the Kia cee’d hatchback that has five doors. Although there are no details regarding the technical specifications of the cee’d TCR race car, we can see some substantial changes from the production variant.

Kia cee’d TCR Second Render

For instance, there is a widebody kit, which makes the car look lower and wider, and we bet that the kit also has aerodynamic qualities and probably is made of carbon fiber. Precisely, the package comprises of a redesigned front bumper which includes big air intakes, the wheel arches have been widened, while the side skirts feature new design. At the rear there is also huge wing that will keep the balance. Kia specialists have also added carbon fiber front splitter and multi-spoke racing wheels shod with Michelins. Inside, there is probably a roll-cage and exclusive racing seats.

Kia cee’d TCR will be officially unveiled very soon with the start of the TCR International Series in Estoril, Portugal. This will happen on 24th of April. Stay tuned!

Source: Kia

April 6, 2016

Audi Reveals Refreshed Styling for the A3 and S3 Lineup

2016 Audi S3 Facelift Front View Audi has just unveiled the facelift variants of the A3 and S3 models. The cars feature a lot of new styling enhancements including new front fascia with a revised grille. The later is flanked by restyled Xenon plus headlights. At the rear we see brand new diffuser and refreshed design for the taillights. Audi is making everything more colorful by adding more shades to the palette. In addition, the new A3 and S3 can now be equipped with the optional matrix LED headlights.

On the inside, the updated interior includes new three-spoke steering wheel and an upgraded MMI system infotainment system with simplified menus and enhanced voice controls. As an option, Audi is offering its customers the new Audi virtual cockpit system with 12.3-inch TFT display positioned in the instrument cluster.

Another option for the A3 is the traffic jam assist system. It helps the person behind the wheel by automatically driving the car at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. Customers can also order the updated variant of the Active Lane Assist System.

2016 Audi A3 Facelift Front View

In terms of engines, there are a lot of variants to choose from. These include: the 1.0-liter TFSI three-cylinder with 115 horsepower (85 kW) and 200 Nm (147 pound-feet) of torque; the 1.4-liter TFSI with 150 hp (110 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque; the 2.0-liter TFSI with 190 hp (140 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque; the 1.6-liter TDI with 110 hp (81 kW); and the 2.0-liter TDI with outputs of 150 hp (110 kW) and 339 Nm (250 lb-ft) of torque as well as 184 hp (135 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque.

Those who are always looking to save the nature can opt for the A3 Sportback e-tron which is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It comprises of a 1.4-liter TFSI engine, an electric motor, and an 8.8 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery. Its total output is of 204 hp (150 kW). There is even an option on natural gas: the Audi A3 Sportback g-tron powerd by a 1.4-liter TFSI bi-fuel engine which produces 110 hp (81 kW). At last, the facelifted S3 has an upgraded 2.0-liter TFSI engine which generates up to 310 hp (228 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft of torque).

Audi A3 and S3 Facelift will go on sale next month with a starting price at €23,300. First deliveries are expected this summer.

Source: Audi

April 6, 2016

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Collector’s Edition VIN #001 to be Auctioned for Noble Cause

2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Collector’s Edition was unveiled in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Now it is time for Chevy to auction the first production model this Friday, April 8, at the Barrett-Jackson in Palm Beach. All of the proceeds will go for a good cause – they will benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

This isn’t the first year, which General Motors supports the Institute. Last year in auction were raised $200,000 by putting on the stage the first production Cadillac CT6 luxury sedan again at Barrett-Jackson.

Chevrolet’s VIN #001 Corvette Grand Sport Collector’s Edition will again support Karmanos Cancer Institute and its 34th Annual Dinner which will be held Saturday, April 16. But this isn’t everything GM is doing for the cause: the GM Foundation has also made a significant grant of $400,000 to fund the cancer research at Karmanos, which is currently developing new cancer treatments that will benefit cancer patients worldwide.

The newest member of the Corvette family, the Grand Sport, will be perfect choice for those who love to rebel. It combines the unique and dynamic Corvette DNA with the outstanding engineering, thus delivering track-ready aerodynamics. The car is a limited production edition and this means it has some one-off styling cues that others don’t.

2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Collector’s Edition Rear view

Starting with the Watkins Glen Gray Metallic exterior, it is accentuated by Tension Blue hash-mark graphics and satin black full-length stripes. In addition, the vehicle runs on black wheels which add to the sporty on-road character.

Inside, there is a Tension Blue full leather and suede-wrapped interior. There are also some astonishing details like the Grand Sport race car, which is embossed in the headrests and on the instrument panel. The latter also carries the VIN #001 sequence number.

At last, the person who will be the proud owner of the 2017 Grand Sport will enjoy the power of the car coming from the 6.2L LT1 V8 engine. It is capable of 460 horsepower (338 kW) and 630 Nm (465 lb.-ft.) of torque.

2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport will be offered in coupe and convertible variants. The first units will go on sale this summer in the United States and in the fall in Europe. The Collector’s Edition will be released on the market later this year.

Source: Chevrolet

April 6, 2016

New World Record for the Nissan GT-R NISMO? [w/video]

Nissan GT-R NISMO Teaser Nissan GT-R NISNMO has a mission and it is to come at you in full force! The Japanese company has just released a teaser video which suggests that the GT-R NISMO is about to make the unthinkable and set a brand new world record. The “anticipation got us glued to our screens” and we immediately watched the video, and I urge you to do the same.

There are not so many details released so far, but we are definitely looking forward to know more. Nissan also assured us that new facts are to come very soon. Another details that gives a hint about the world record, is that the video you can watch below was actually released at first by Nissan Middle East and this means that the record will be probably achieved there.

From the video we can also tell that the GT-R Nismo appears to look a little bit different. After all, it would be unthinkable to have a brand new GT-R and not to modify the GT-R NISMO. What we can spot from the 16 seconds footage is the new shifter and the larger intercooler as well as the improved front.

2017 Nissan GT-R was unveiled in the end of March at the New York Auto Show. The most awaited car at the event caused a major excitement during its global reveal. Not only does the GT-R look better, but it also features more expressive interior as well as better driving performance characteristics. So we are looking forward to see what the NISMO variant would look like.

One thing we know for sure: it will feature a lot of carbon fiber and will develop far more than the previous-generation’s 600 horsepower. Stay tuned for the next exclusive news by Nissan. We’ll keep you posted.

httpv://youtu.be/n6HAHi7c-fU

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Nissan

April 5, 2016

Meet Ford Mustang Geiger GT 820 with Almost Doubled Horsepower

Ford Mustang Geiger GT 820 front View Ford Mustang was born more than 50 ears ago, in the distant 1964. The original American Pony Car soon became emblematic and now there is hardly anyone that doesn’t dream of at least taking a ride in it. The German specialists at GeigerCars.de have made a leap forward and given this amazing muscle vehicle a new performance and styling attitude.

After the conversion, the car carries the label Geiger Mustang GT 820, and as you can tell the number behind GT is there for a reason. It is to signify that the horses have been almost doubled: from 421 hp to 820 hp and 760 Nm of torque. This improvement was achieved due to the addition of an intercooled supercharger conversion to the 5.0 litre V8 engine.

So much amount of power just needs great soundtrack, and it was secured by the addition of the stainless steel sports exhaust system. With its flap control wide open this exhaust gives the Mustang GT 820 a mighty V8. GT Performance package balances the performance even further, and it includes a Brembo six-pot calliper big brake system, 3.73:1 final drive and Torsen limited-slip differential. Without being part of the pack, Geiger-sports suspension kit is another important part of the GT 820 conversion.

Ford Mustang Geiger GT 820 Side View

The in-house made carbon-fibre body kit comprises of a new grille, large front spoiler lip and matching side skirts, visually boosts the appearance of the car. At the rear, we see an under body diffuser and boot lid spoiler. To fill out the wheel arches, the tuners mounted black-painted Y-spoke lightweight forged alloy wheels in 20-inch size shod with 255/35R20 and 295/30R20 Michelin tyres, and this rounds out the tuning of the Mustang.

Source: Geigercars.de

April 5, 2016

A-Team’s Bus Lives Again Thanks to RFK Tuning

RFK Tuning Volkswagen T5 Bus Front View We rarely publish news like this, but this one is very intriguing, since this Volkswagen T5 looks like a masterpiece. This time under the spotlight is the designer’s team at the RFK and its unique take on the popular T5 bus from VW. As a matter of fact, the van looks like an A-Team van that was adapted to a VW T5 Bus.

You might wonder what is A-Team? This is a group of ex-US Army Special Forces men called “The A-Team” founded back in 1980. The band battled bad guys on the small screen every evening, creating history and making their black and red GMC G20 Van very popular.

In other words, the special van (bus) you see here was inspired by the visual concept of the A-Team van. It is of course painted in black and features distinctive red side flash. In addition, the T5 Bus features more aggressive front fascia because of the addition of the Delta 4×4 nudge bar, headlights with LED DRLs and the badge-less grille. At the rear the theme is continued via the darkened LED lights and a red color-coded wing on the trailing edge of the roof.

RFK Tuning Volkswagen T5 Bus Rear view

In terms of wheels, RFK specialists chosen Deep Concave variant of the in-house made Elegance Wheels E1. They were painted red to mimic the look of the wheels on the iconic original A-Team van and come in 20-inch size. They are shod with 275/35ZR20 tyres at all four corners.

The driven dynamics are also taken care for; hence height adjustable KW Variant 3 coil-over suspension was due. RFK Tuning also performed power upgrade by using their ECU optimization software to boost the 2.0 litre TDI motor from 140 to 170 hp, with peak torque growing from 320 to 380 Nm.

A-Team’s van lives today thanks to RFK tuning!

Source: RFK Tuning

April 5, 2016

Bentley Unveils the Updated Continental GT Speed Black Edition [642 hp & 840 Nm]

Bentley Continental GT Speed Black Edition Front View Bentley has just revealed the updated variant of the Continental GT Speed. The car has one main benefit and it is in terms of power and torque. With a top speed of 206 mph or 331 km/h, this unique luxurious car now delivers even more force onto the road thanks to the release of the Black Edition, which joins the Speed family.

Precisely, the engineers have uprated the potent 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine, which now produces 642 PS (up from 635 PS) and 840 Nm (from 820 Nm). By the way, the additional torque is applied through the entire rev range through reoptimisation of the boost control, thus bringing greater acceleration performance. The 0-60 mph sprint time has dropped to just 3.9 seconds, while the 0-100 km/h sprint has been estimated at 4.1 seconds.

The Continental GT Speed Black Edition will be available in both coupe and convertible bodystyles. The body colour of this special series is complimented by a high gloss black finish to the window openings and lamp bezels as well as all-black 21-inch five-spoke directional wheels. Behind the latter there are distinctive brake calipers, which can be specified in red or black.

Bentley Continental GT Speed Black Edition Interior

Other one-off features of the Black Edition include contrast colours to the front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser in four different shades: Hallmark, Beluga, St James’ Red and Cyber Yellow. Furthermore, carbon fibre adorns the fascia, centre and roof consoles and creates dark ambiance.

The seats and centre console are bordered by contrasting leather, available in Porpoise, Beluga, Pillar Box Red or Cyber Yellow. Corresponding contrast stitching accentuates the diamond quilting of the doors and Mulliner GT Design seats.

Both new Bentley Continental GT Speed and GT Speed Black Edition can be currently ordered. First deliveries are expected this summer.

Source: Bentley

April 4, 2016

G-Power BMW M6 F06 Does its Thing with Almost 1000 Nm

G-Power BMW M6 F06 Front View BMW M6 F06 is originally powered by the very potent TwinPower Turbo V8 engine, which produces 560 Nm (412 kW) horsepower and 700 Nm (517 lb-ft). The four-door saloon shows supercar performance, but there are always people who need to see more from everything. Therefore, the BMW performance specialists at G-POWER decided to offer three stages of engine upgrades for power hungry owners, delivering 650 hp, 700 hp, and 740 hp! The torque grew to almost 1000 Nm, making this M6 one of the most potent ones on the planet.

The power upgrade for the engine was in-house made and it alters the mapping of the control unit. There are actually two variants to choose from: Bi- Tronik 5 power module and the Bi-Tronik 2 factory ECU remap. Both offer power uprating to 650 hp with 830 Nm of torque.

The added power also requires some modifications in the hardware like the reduction in exhaust backpressure, which helps the Bi-Tronik 5 V2 conversion attain 700 hp (514 kW) and 905 Nm of torque. At last, the most powerful G-POWER tuning stage for the M6 motor is the Bi-Tronik 2 V3 which adds downpipes, a full-length titanium exhaust system with a four-pipe sport rear silencer and titanium link-pipes with integrated resonators.

G-Power BMW M6 F06 Bonnet Open

As a result the BMW generates 740 hp and 975 Nm of torque and is able to do the 0 to 200 km/h sprint in an incredible 10.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 325 km/h. Besides the additional power and torque, the titanium exhaust system is also responsible for a deep and sonorous soundtrack as well as 10.5 kg weight reduction.

The chassis performance is kept in line with the more powerful engine with new suspension systems, 21-inch Hurricane RR-forged alloys and 255/30ZR21 and 295/25ZR21 tyres, at the front and rear respectively.

Source: G-Power

April 4, 2016

Author: Lidia Todorova