Here are the first images of the Volvo S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2009. The Concept gives an indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when it’s launched in 2010. “The all-new S60 will be one of the strongest players in a segment where the competition is razor-sharp,” says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stephen Odell. (more…)
Author: autoview
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Nissan: Note the changes for 2009
First seen at the 2008 Paris motor show, the compact and spacious family car from Nissan is about to grow up, with changes made to the exterior and interior providing a new look with innovative and friendly technology. (more…) -
Caterham R500 – Top Gear’s Car of the Year
Top Gear has named the Caterham Superlight R500 its 2008 ‘Car of the Year’.
The most extreme version of the legendary Seven appeared on the popular BBC show for the first time at the beginning of December, instantly leaving a lasting impression on presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. (more…)
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Fancy Racing A Citroen Supercar Against The World Rally Champion On The Busiest Street In Paris?
Citroën is kicking off Christmas in style at its Champs-Élysées showcase, the C_42, with a new seasonal exhibition and an exciting competition giving visitors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go head-to-head in a race against Citroën’s five-time, World Rally Champion, Sébastien Loeb, in the stunning GTbyCITROËN – the real world concept car designed for PlayStation’s virtual racing game Gran Turismo. (more…) -
Top Boxers Weigh-In For Abarth Celebrity Bout At Wembley
Four current and former British boxing champions will be warming up for a ‘bout’ with a difference – when they fire-up a Wembley Stadium crowd this weekend with a Race of Champions showdown in new Abarth 500 race cars. (more…) -
New Performance Options Available for 4.3 litre V8 Vantage
Following the launch of the new Aston Martin 4.7 V8 Vantage this summer, owners of the original 4.3 litre V8 Vantage are now afforded the choice of a retrospective-fit power enhancement and the hugely popular Sports Pack option. (more…) -
2009 Saab 9-3 SportCombi Named “Top 5 Wagon”
The editors at NADAguides.com, a leading vehicle pricing and information website based in Costa Mesa, California, have named the Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi a “Top 5 Wagon”. An important contributor to the award was the availability of Saab’s “Cross-Wheel Drive” (XWD) system, new for the 2009 model year as standard equipment in the 9-3 Aero SportSedan and SportCombi and available on 2.0T models.
“When they say engineered from jets, they mean it,” said Don Christy, president and CEO of NADAguides.com. “The 2009 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi is a great looking wagon with a laundry list of standard equipment. In this category, this is something special.”
Developed in Sweden with Haldex of Stockholm, Saab’s “Cross-Wheel Drive” is a pre-emptive, active-on-demand system that is activated only when required, limiting the impact on fuel economy while giving the car a surefooted, dynamic feel that enthusiasts embrace. Saab’s Cross-Wheel Drive system is designed to optimize vehicle handling and stability in all driving conditions.
“True to its Scandinavian origins, Saab has built a large part of its reputation on excellent road manners under demanding driving conditions like rain, sleet and snow,” said Steve Shannon, executive director product and brand at Saab Automobile USA. “Our new Cross-Wheel Drive technology, which delivers unprecedented levels of driver involvement and dynamic chassis control, further illustrates Saab’s commitment to offering active safety in sporty, efficient and driver-focused vehicles.”
Saab Cross-Wheel Drive is a fully automatic, on-demand system capable of sending up to 100 percent of engine torque to the front or rear wheels whenever necessary. While offering drivers sure-footed handling in low-grip conditions, its sophisticated operation also adds a further sporty dimension to the driving experience in all road conditions.
This state-of-the-art, all-wheel drive system includes two innovative features: pre-emptive engagement of the rear wheels to optimize traction at take-off; and an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential (eLSD) that allows variable torque transfer between the rear wheels. While the eLSD is standard on Aero models; it is not available on the 9-3 2.0T.
Saab is a division of General Motors Corporation. Saab Automobile USA is the importer and/or distributor of the Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For the 2009 model year, Saab offers 7 different models that deliver 27 mpg or better according to EPA Highway fuel economy standards.
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KTM Takes Triple Honours In Topgear.com Awards
KTM, one of the newest car manufacturers in Europe, celebrated triple honours at the TopGear.com 2008 awards last night.The stunning ‘Ready to Race’ KTM X-Bow is Top Gear’s ‘Sports Car of the Year’, while KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer, and X-Bow Chief Chassis Engineer, Loris Bicocchi, are both recognised among Top Gear’s ‘Men of the Year’.
Made in Austria, the KTM X-Bow (pronounced crossbow) is a minimalist two-seater mid-engined sports car – featuring a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque – that delivers a pure and exhilarating driving experience. Its 2-litre TFSI Audi engine develops 240 ps (177 kW) and catapults the X-Bow to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds.
The team at Top Gear magazine – the most widely read motoring publication in the UK – and TopGear.com – which boasts over two million unique users each month – reports in this month’s ‘Car of the Year Awards’ issue that the X-Bow they drove in New York “…cuts enough of a dash to stop traffic on its own… beautiful carbon and a great engine courtesy of Audi combine to make it one the greatest things we’ve been in all year.”
Top Gear enthuses that Stefan Pierer will “… chat for hours about racing. We like it that he donated KTM’s DNA to a machine with four wheels.”
And in crediting Loris Bicocchi with the X-Bow’s dynamics, Top Gear observes that the X-Bow “… turned out delicious. That’s the mark of Bicocchi.”
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Updated Nissan Gt-R For Europe
As production of the European specification Nissan GT-R begins in its Tochigi plant in Japan this month, a raft of small but significant changes have been made to the car as part of its kaizen – continuous improvement – philosophy.The GT-R’s hand-built 3.8-litre V6 twin-turbo engine has gained 5PS thanks to some fine tuning of its electronics, taking power output to 485PS, while torque remains unchanged at 588Nm. Additionally, Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST tyres will be fitted as standard. The tyre was developed specifically for the GT-R and it combines grip and durability, as demonstrated during its ‘time-attack’ lap of the Nurburgring, which yielded a time of 7 minutes 29 seconds. And, just to improve the ride performance even further a modification has been carried out to the suspension spring rate settings. (more…)
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Ford Hits Vital Co2 Targets
Ford’s latest C-MAX MPV delivers the lowest CO2 emissions in its segment. Engineering developments to Ford C-MAX 1.6 TDCi models have resulted in emissions of just 119g/km of CO2.As a result vehicle excise duty (VED) for these models reduces immediately from £120 to £35. There will be a further reduction to £30 from April 2009, when new VED bands come into force. The official European Drive Cycle combined fuel consumption figure for these models is improved to 62.8mpg*. (more…)
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Lamborghini Reventón Number 20 delivered – The highly exclusive limited edition is complete
A super sports car, yet one that defies comparison – the Lamborghini Reventón is both an ultimate driving machine and limited work of art – with a total of only 20 built and a price of one million Euro (excl. tax), every Reventón is highly exclusive and virtually unique. The Reventón bearing the number 20/20 has now been delivered to its proud owner – thus completing the series. (more…)
