Tsvetan Varbanov – Page 28 – Automobiles Review

Nissan GT-R Track Pack – Less is More

If anything can put a smile on the face of a hardcore track day enthusiast, it’s going to be a Nissan GT-R. More so even if that GT-R happens to be a Track Pack edition. That’s the latest to come out from Nissan and it is design to shed precious seconds on the racing track. At the same time, it still has to be able to take you home trough the public roads – tricky. Most importantly, all is made by people from Nissan with the blessing of the car’s creator – Kazutoshi Mizuno.

Let’s start from the very foundation of the Track Pack – six-spoke RAYS alloy wheels that weigh 10 kg less than the ones found on a standard GT-R. Cooling ducts carved trough the front splitter reduce can reduce the operating temperature of the brake discs by as much as 100 degrees while on the run. Air is also channeled towards the back.

The suspension has been stiffened up which aids stability and rigidity. The Nissan engineers should know since the Track Pack GT-R has been developed on the premiss of the Nürbergring – the best place in the world to test out a track-focused vehicle. Now that ride home may not sound like much of a bargain but Nissan say that with the flick of a switch the dampers can start acting as if they had been filled with whipped cream.

Inside, one won’t find the rear seats nor the front ones in fact (the standard ones that is). You only get two sports seat wrapped in something called “magic cloth” – blue-on-grey fabric and leather that prevents you from slipping out upon experiencing the notorious GT-R lateral forces. If, by any chance you fail to notice all of those deviations, an emblem sits on the dashboard just to let you know that you are in fact, in a Track-Pack.

On the other hand, despite looking like a hardcore, medieval torture chamber, it still has a Bose audio system and a rear-view camera. Nobody has dared to fiddle with the oily bits as well, most probably because they are perfect already – 550PS power output, and a 0-62 time of just 2.8 seconds is pretty much self explanatory.

The Track Pack is only available in the UK and Japan, and is priced at £10,000 ($16,187) more than the standard £74,450 ($120,512) GT-R.

Source: Nissan

April 26, 2012

Honda Develops Technology to Detect the Potential for Traffic Congestion

Apparently Honda have figured out a way to keep us out of traffic jams. Actually, they want to prevent jams from happening in the first place. The plan is to introduce an already developed system, first of it’s kind according to Honda, which can “determine whether the driving pattern of the vehicle is likely to create traffic jams”. Well that’s easy – if the car is moving, you’re okay. If not, you’re stuck. After figuring out that the acceleration and deceleration of a single vehicle may influence the whole traffic stream, Honda and the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo started conducting tests. The initial results showed that with the system the voyaging vehicle’s average speed was increased by around 23% while the fuel efficiency was up by 8% when trailing. Public road testing is to be commenced next month in Italy and Indonesia.

So how does it work? Well, the system monitors the acceleration and deceleration patterns of the vehicle to determine whether the driver’s driving pattern is likely to create traffic congestion. If the car knows what’s going to happen next, maybe the driver can do something about it to prevent it. Information is being fed trough a color-coded display on the on-board terminal.

Even further than that, by connecting the on-board terminals to Honda’s cloud servers, the drive can be aware of and in sync with the driving patterns of vehicles by activating the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control at the right time to maintain a constant distance from the other back ends.

Honda-congestion-prevenetion-medium — Honda congestion prevenetion principle

If this turns out to be a successful endeavor, finally we will see the fuel efficiency battle on two fronts – one is the stop/start function which is designed to relief the effects of congestion while this would be a preventative measure. The traffic does affect CO2 emissions, time and mileage. It also creates possible bumper-to-bumper accident risks.

Source: Honda

April 26, 2012

JNCAP Five Star Award for the Subaru Legacy

The Subaru Legacy’s appeal has grown as news came about a “JNCAP Five Star Award”. The acronym there stands for Japan New Car Assessment Program. It’s annually held by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the National Agency for Automotive Safety and Vicitim’s Aid. It’s basically a parallel to the Euro NCAP.

The five star award is usually given to the car that performs best in terms of safety performance. A segment from the test even includes an assessment of how safe are the pedestrian’s legs after a collision.

Here’s how the Legacy scored:

Full-wrap frontal collision test: Driver’s seat – Level 5 (highest rating)／Passenger’s seat – Level 5 (highest rating)

Offset frontal collision test: Driver’s seat – Level 5 (highest rating)／Rear seat – Level 4

Side collision test: Driver’s seat – Level 5 (highest rating)

Neck injury protection for rear-end collision performance test: Driver’s seat – Level 4 (highest rating)／Passenger’s seat – Level 4 (highest rating)

Pedestrian head protection performance tests: Level 5 (highest rating)

Pedestrian legs protection performance tests: Level 4 (highest rating)

This is not the first time a Legacy delights the JNCAP officials. In ’09/’10 it was proved to be the best Grand Prix safety car. 2 years before that, the Impreza held the same title. Also, in 2009, the Subaru Forester and Exiga were crowned “Ecvellent Cars”

So then, the Legacy is proving itself to be quite a character. Rigid enough to hold on to its paint work yet kind the fragile bones of the pedestrians. Not to mention all the clever gizmos inside that prevent it from crashing in the first place. And don’t worry about the weight of the thing. We are pretty sure that at the very least, the 2.5-liter boxer engine under the hood provides more than enough oomph.

Source: Subaru

April 26, 2012

BMW M3 E46 with 450hp by G-POWER

By today’s standards, it’s an antique. A ten-year old dinosaur. A car that uses coal for fuel. Okey, so we got a bit carried over here. It’s the BMW M3 E46 – a generation before the latest one. Don’t be deceived though. G-POWER, the guys who got their hands on it, say it is now more powerful than the current V8 powered M3.

The performance package installed is called the SK I „SPORTY DRIVE“ and if the figures they give are correct, the word “sporty” is a massive understatement – 450 hp and 460 Nm of torque. That’s a straight six engine we are talking about here. None of the pistons have been changed or altered in any way and the exhaust system is pretty standard. It’s not witchcraft either. No, those additional 107 bhp come from a humongous ASA T1-518 centrifugal supercharger – proper racing tech all the way. With it the venerable M3 can get to 200 km/h in 14,7 seconds (a massive improvement over the standard E46 – 18,1 seconds.). Compare that to the 200 km/h time of the E90 and you get a full second in favor of the G-POWERed predecessor.

One would imagine then, that a more iron fisted stopping power is required as a compliment to the supercharger. Something more up to date maybe. That’s why the package also includes a set of 370 mm front and 342 mm back brake disks that get clamped by calipers that nest up to six brake pistons per wheel. The heat from the significantly bigger pads will be dissipated more efficiently once you exit a corner.

And yes, you would be doing a lot corners. Especially with that new bound, rebound and height-adjustable G-POWER coil-over suspension. Just be careful not to destroy those Michelin Pilot Sport tires that can, and will have to, endure speeds of up to 300 km/h. Probably it would be best just to keep the M in a garage and occasionaly marvel at them, wrapped around 20-inch G-POWER “Sileverstone Diamond” alloy wheels – prime example of how a 450 hp monstrosity can stay light on its feet.

As an optional extra, one can go for the G-POWER sports rear muffler – OEM standard product quality and four 76 mm pipes sticking out from the back. A car like that needs the sound to match the performance.

Source: G-POWER

April 25, 2012

Honda with Two New Concepts at Beijing

Honda showed up with two new concepts this year at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition – pointers to the eventual mass production models which Honda will add to the market next year. It’s the Honda Concept C and Concept S. There are other specimens being showcased at the show as the Japanese automaker is launching a medium-sized campaign on the Chinese market

Concept C

Apparently C stands for several things – “Cool”, “Challenge” and “China”. That latter one makes sense as this middle-class sedan is specially developed for the Chinese market. It’s body shape is inspired by an image akin to a…you guessed it – a dragon! Its development was conducted both by Chinese and Japanese engineering teams. A mass-production model based on the Concept C is expected to come out trough the gates of Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.

Concept S

Another “primarily for the Chinese market” intended product – The Honda Concept S stands behind “Stylishness”, “Smartness” and “Surprise” – is there a toy inside? We don’t know. What we do know however that there’s a hybrid powertrain under the hood. So it goes without saying, that it will be fun to drive and environmentally friendly… as it is with hybrids. The mass-production model is to hit the Chinese dealerships with the help of Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd next year. But hey, a global release should follow shortly after that.

Currently at Beijing, there are also some familiar faces making their debut on Chinese soil – The Acura ILX and RDX will be available there as soon as this year’s fall. The Acura NSX Concept also shares the stand and the word is that after its launch in the U.S. within the next three years, China will get some piece of the action as well.

Honda’s joint ventures are now even gaining a certain degree of independence if we judge by last year’s release of the Li Nian – Guangqi Honda’s original brand. This year, Dongfeng followed the trend by introducing the CIIMO middle-class sedan.

Here’s what the President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd Takanobu Ito had to say:

“What continues to drive Honda forward is our passion to take on new challenges with our technologies without being limited by what came before, and to create products that make our customers say, ‘I wanted this kind of car!’ We will concentrate this driving force here in China and build vehicles tailored to the needs of our Chinese customers. Toward this end, Honda and our joint venture companies will work together to further localize our development, production and parts sourcing in China.”

Source: Honda

April 25, 2012

Chrysler 300 Ruyi Design Concept at 2012 Beijing

Here’s a break of the pattern – after the dragon encrusted Ferrari 458 and the “Dragon” Wrangler we finally arrive to a Chinese design concept that does not draw inspiration from the dragon breathing mythical creature. It’s the Chrysler 300 Ruyi based on the standard 300C which is also there at the stand. There’s even a Grand Voyager MPV present, all part of the festive return of the Chrysler company to the Chinese market.

Ruyi means “as one wishes” and is usually represented by an object akin to a scepter. It’s used to signify prosperity as it is usually crafted beautifully from high quality materials. So does the 300 Ruyi is anything like that? Well, the first thing you notice that it’s black… sorry, “Maximum Steel”. Bits like the door handles, grille surround and lower grille tracer are in dark chrome. All of that suggests a very upscale and urban feel to it according to Chrysler but to us it just looks kind of scary. Especially with those tinted windows. Other highlights include the grille itself which is riddled with dark chrome throats, the Chinise character at the back end which reads “ruyi”. To round things up, the Ruyi’s designers have fitted 22-inch 10-spoke concept alloy wheels in, again, dark chrome, with a design reminiscent of a ruyi scepter (an S shape type of rod).

Inside, the dark chrome odyssey continues as we notice the outer dash vents, navigation screen and center dash vent surrounds, gauge rings, steering wheel rim and door handles. The center console, upper floor panels and flanking dashboard are all finished in a brushed patterned trim.

Light, creamy leather wraps around the seats with suede inserts at the center and side bolsters. As a touch of aesthetics, the piping is black. On the head rests, one can see the actual evidence of ruyi inspiration – an embossing in a cloud form that again bares an S-shaped base.

Power, produced by the “Engine of the Year” 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 unit, will go trough Chrysler’s ZF 8HP45 eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s the same setup which will be used in the standard 300C Luxury Series bound to appear in all Chinese dealrships. It’s most fuel-efficient and an excellent choice when it comes to value for money.

Source: Chrysler

April 25, 2012

Peugeot Urban Crossover Concept Revealed in Beijing

Ever considered what would come out from a relationship between a Peugeot 208 and a 3008? Neither have we. But at the moment, in Beijing something just like that is sharing the Peugeot stand . It’s the Urban Crossover Concept – a vehicle that “mixes the elegance and refinement of a saloon, the cheekiness and the mischievousness of an SUV with multi-role capability and unusal spaciousness for this market segment”. We always thought that the mischievousness and cheekiness are qualities best reserved for small cars but what do we know?

Peugeot say that because of the ever growing urbanization momentum, the Urban Crossover Concept fits perfectly into our worldview. Apparently, it somehow stays small on the outside and versatile and spacious on the inside.

The Concept is also the barer of Peugeot’s future styling cues. The front end for example is said to be refined yet full of power. A carefully styled hood and front wings add to the picture. The “smiling” grille with its metallic teeth underpins the new Peugeot badge.

From the side, the Urban Crossover is rather steep thanks to the raked windscreen which overlays with the rooftop and continues the silhouette all the way back to the spoiler. The raised body stance and wide wheels uncover its SUVishness. Peugeot say that it will be mulch-purposeful and yet kind to the environment. No word on any engine lineups though, Nothing technological has been discussed so far. It still is a concept so that’s understandable.

At the back we have a double bubble design an aluminum spoiler that bring the RCZ Sports Coupe to mind. Then we have LED tail lights that bare the signature Peugeot clawed design.

The Urban Crossover Concept will make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show in September 2012. Until then, our guess is that the urban turf will still be dominated by the Nissan Juke and Ford B-Max.

Source: Peugeot

April 24, 2012

Vorsteiner Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Since there seems to be a lot of fuss around Lamborghini at the moment, Vrosteiner have cunningly decided to make a reference of their own. They too send us back in time but the LM002-back-in-time-type. It’s a tuning program for the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera… sort of. More like wheels for it.

Yes, those two raging bulls down there in the gallery wear the latest shoes from Vorsteiner – 1-piece or 3-piece forged wheels codenamed respectfully VS-110 and VS-310. As if they have been made specifically for the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera with that aftermarket big brake clearances. They both boast a 5 twin spoke design can be custom painted or powder coated depending on customer choice. Functionally, these two series of wheels are supposed to minimize unsprung weight for improved vehicle performance.

That can only mean good news for the Superleggera variety of the Gallardo is already light enough – 1,420 kg. The power to propel that weight comes from a 5-liter V10 that produces 530 PS.

If adding only wheels seems a bit tasteless, Vorsteiner hint that by the end of Fall this year, they would have come up with lightweight pre-preg carbon fiber aerodynamics and performance accessories for the Gallardo as well.

Vorsteiner Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Source: Vorsteiner

April 24, 2012

Eternity Artemis Prototype at Beijing

It would seem that Lamborghini won’t be the only company at Beijing to showcase a 600 bhp monstrosity with high ground clearance. Meet London-base Eterniti Motors and their first car ever – The Artemis. They haven’t bothered about fitting in so to speak as they have their own category for it – Super-SUV: “Higher levels of luxury, performance and exclusivity” targeted at wealthy car buyers. We respect honesty.

The Artemis prototype is still in its trial period but Eterniti speculate that it would be out before the ones of Lamborghini, Bentley or Maserati.

Outside every panel is hand-built yet made of carbon-fiber. Well, there are some “crude” patches of chrome here and there but they can’t really ruin the whole thing, can they? Sized 315/25, low profile tires bare the weight of the body and the 23-inch alloy rims that come in several designs.

The engineers at Eterniti have put some extra effort in making the back end of the cabin spacious, luxurious and comfortable. The seats recline, cool or heat themselves, hide a refrigerator and an iPad slot – very executive. The general feel of the whole cabin is self evident – leathers, quilted undercarpets and boot trim, lambswool rugs, veneers of natural wood, piano black and carbon-fiber patterns, state-of-the-art audio system and a choice of several sunroofs for some reason.

Then there’s the real inside. At the center of the Eterniti, beats a 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 heart that produces 600 bhp and 750Nm of torque. Tests have so far shown that the “Super-SUV” can do a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 4.5 seconds. Performance and handling have been developed by a race-bred British engineering team led by Alastair Macqueen. He was responsible for the Jaguar XJ220 so you know they are not kidding.

Eterniti have been kind enough to share a price tag as well – China will get a special deal but for the rest of the world, it’s £210,000. So this is where we start losing touch with reality. That sum of money for something that looks like a tricked out Cayenne?! Hmm…

Source: Eterniti

April 23, 2012

Lamborghini Urus at 2012 Beijing

What we see here, is evidence that the world has gone SUV-mad. Lamborghini have brought the heavy artillery to the 2012 Beijing Auto Show with the Urus SUV Concept. We say heavy, but actually, the company claims that the Urus will thrash the other fatties from the segment thanks to their ever-improving craftiness with carbon-fiber composites.

So what’s at the core of this concept? Some might be surprised but this is not Lamborghini’s first venture into the SUV world. It’s their second. Back in 1986 the LM002 was launched which looked like a Hummer on steroids, had 450 bhp and a top speed of 210 km/h. Despite remaining in production until 1992, only 300 units were ever made. Not what you call a commercial success then.

The name behind the new one is in part ironic. Urus (or aurochs) is an extinct species of cattle – a rather majestic and tall looking breed of bulls, ancestors of the modern Spanish Bull. Now, we understand that you can’t name something that looks like a genetically modified Lamborghini Aventador on hoofs after a standard bull but isn’t the fact that the aurochs have been “outdated” sort of a bad sign?

Anyways, Lamborghini are still quiet about what’s under the hood. “Expect something around 600 bhp” is not something we can work with here. Low emission pioneering is also amidst the company’s daring claims, because it will be light they say. But how light can a 5 meter long and 2 meter wide bulk of brawn can be? It sends its power trough trough a permanent AWD system complete with traction control. (which, again, does not sound very light).

Aerodynamics are said to play an important part as well. The suspension is widely adjustable. The front spoiler is also height adjustable so that it can provide a proper ground clearance or add some stability and efficiency on the flat tarmac. The outside features are less than a handful but for a purpose – a minimalist construction. No side view mirrors (cameras inside), no gun turrets and no excess weight. The only thing that sounds too much is the size of the wheels: 24 inches of matte aluminum glory and double spoke design.

Inside the Lamborghini Urus, there is a seating for four (two too many for a Lamborghini to be honest). The carbon fiber diet there is just as relevant as it is for the outside. The center tunnel for example, is an open skeletal carbon fiber structure made from Forged Composite. It’s the backbone of the whole interior and it is only partially clad in leather-upholstered cushioning. The four bucket seats (Forged Composite as well) are also cushioned by a single body. Then, behind the steering wheel, one would find only paddle shifters. So Lamborghini has gone the Ferrari Italia way and placed the indicator storks/buttons somewhere irrelevant. And this is supposed to be an everyday vehicle?

Source: Lamborghini

April 23, 2012

Jeep Wrangler “Dragon” Design Concept Revealed

Since the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition is already in motion, we better start off with something symbolic. That’s where the Jeep Wrangler “Dragon” design concept comes in. It’s based on the standard, Chinese spec Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, finished in black and garnished with bronze/gold motives which are strongly associated with the Chinese dragon.

The gold/bronze details play a center role in the whole design thing (front grille slats, headlamp surrounds, the engine cover etc) but by know, you must have noticed the dragon decal that starts on the hood and runs down the driver’s side of the cabin. “Supplementary” dragons can also be found on the underside of the hood where a carbon-fiber insulator is mounted. Then there’s the gloss-black spare tire cover which also glances you with a pair of dragon eyes. As round up features for the outside, the Jeep boasts a Mopar fuel-filler cap and an aftermarket LED lighting package that includes the headlamps, fog lamps, turn signals and taillights.

This particular Wrangler sits on 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels which are also black and have the same bronze/gold outer edge finish. They roll around humongous 35-inch off-road tires which are there to defend the dragon’s reputation – control over water, rain and winds in their severest form.

Inside, the seats are all black leather with gold/bronze piping and stitching. A laser etched dragon pattern adorns the face of the headrests. Leather, resembling the scales of a dragon, covers the outside edges of the seats and front center arm rest. The instrument panel bezels are in piano black while the steering wheel’s spokes have a bronze/gold accent. That is also true for the instrument cluster, passenger-side door dashboard grab handle and door handles. Finishing the interior modifications are the dragon tags on the front and rear floor mats.

At the heart of the dragon sits a Chrysler 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine. That means 284 bhp and 347 Nm of mythical fury. Although down on the displacement (compared to the previous 3.8-liter engine), this one has over 40 percent more horsepower and 10 percent more torque. Also, mated to an automatic transmission normally found in the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Wrangler is more economical as well.

Source: Jeep

April 23, 2012

Seat Ibiza Cupra Concept

It still is a concept, but production is foreseeable. It’s the Seat Ibiza Cupra ready to please the way only a hothatch can. Powerful, nimble and clever, this little imp has all the right acronyms – TSI, DSG and now XDS – an electronic differential lock.

A 1.4 TSI super/turbocharged engine under the hood packs a punch of around 180 hp and 250 Nm. With a set of paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, one can make good use of that power which is delivered to the road by a seven-speed DSG transmission.

The Ibiza Cupra also has the looks to match the power. Angry looks that is. Seat have focused on the car’s face by adding a broad grille, sophisticated and pointy headlights and vast air intakes. The only thing that, to us, ruins the whole situation are those LED daytime running lights which surround the headlights, imprisoning them with redundancy. From the side we have a three-door profile – sharp and muscular with nice C-pillars. 17-inch wheels complement the dynamics while black exterior mirrors offer an aesthetic contrast to the mad yellow paint job of the body.

Jumping inside, we find a minimalist’s idea of paradise – a steering wheel with the shifters, four air-vents, a radio and that’s about it. Well, there’s more than that but take the entertainment system for an example – a 5-inch screen can be unplugged and taken home as a part of Seat’s Portable System – that means that in your pocket, you can have a navigation system, a hands-free phone system with voice control and an on-board computer.

Currently, this little critter (that probably has rabies) is on a stand at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive show. One of the many that will most definitely leave an impression on you or atleast a smile.

Source: Seat

April 23, 2012

Author: Tsvetan Varbanov