Tsvetan Varbanov – Page 38 – Automobiles Review

Prior Mercedes-Benz CL kit – “Black Edition”

Last time we checked, Prior were having some fun with the Mercedes-Benz Roadster SL by sticking their bespoke “Black Edition” body kit on it. Now it is the CL‘s turn to go under the careful knife of Prior Design. The body kit is suitable for all models of the C216 series.

Now, the luxury class coupe is bulky and majestic thanks to a wide body kit that consists of new front mud wings, side skirts, a roof scoop that looks like a mohawk hairpiece and front and rear bumpers. The matte black finish of the car can do nothing but help the aggressive appearance that has taken over baby coupe. At the front we have 10×20” alloy wheels, while at the back an even wider pair (13×20”). They complement the overall look of the kit and also suffocate their sheer vastness.

The Prior Design products are manufactured from Duraflex. Through its excellent surface structure and high level of stability, this high grade material enables easy and cost-effective lacquering. Everything is easy to install yet Prior are willing to help you with the process as well as take orders for a few special items and carbon fiber goodies

Source: Prior design

February 28, 2012

TechART and the New Porsche 911

Last week it was Vorsteiner who announced a Geneva Porsche Carrera and now we’ve got news from TechArt. They also have a program for the 911 but this one seems to be having a bad case of jaundice. Being that yellow, the car is certain to be noticed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. It would be like staring into the sun. Just don’t squint your eyes too much or you won’t be able to see what’s new.

The TechArt 911 has a unique front bumper with an integrated splitter and two fins on the lower air intakes that probably don’t do much but they look cool. At the back, there seems to be too much downforce oriented features – a fixed rear spoiler, a rear wing, a diffuser? Other additions include the sideskirts, some new trim panels for the headlights and new mirror encasings.

Provided also are the TechArt Formula 5-spoke light alloy wheels in 20– and 21-inch sizes specially designed for the Carrera and Carrera S. Alternatively one can opt for the TechArt Formula III type of wheels which come in the same sizes. Either way, the 911 will be lighter and more dynamic when compared to a sibling with standard shoes. The five spokes on that particular Carrera are quite apart from each other and as a result we can see the callipers which are in what color?

All yellowishness aside, your hearing may also be provoked by the TechArt exhaust system that has remote valve control and dual oval pipes through which the car can sing its song.

The Carrera we have in our gallery will be at the show, but thankfully you can have the finish, inside and outside, custom made. Regardless of that, you get a lot of leather and Alcantra, carbon fiber, TechArt floor mats, TechArt steering wheel and paddle shifters. Let’s just hope, that there is some protective eyeware on the TechArt stand because my eyes are now hurting and I am not even close to the thing.

Source: TechArt

February 28, 2012

Range Rover Evoque Convertible Concept

Get ready for something new. Although the markets today are flooded with all kinds of SUV’s, Land Rover are going to introduce one that will fascinate the world. Welcome to the Land Rover Evoque Convertible Concept. A world debut is set for the 82nd Geneva Motor Show in no more than two weeks time.

The Convertible Concept is actually a standard Evoque Coupe that has sped through a really, really low bridge and the hard top was scraped clean off the car. Well, it is actually more complicated than that, but it will have the Evoque’s engine lineup – a 2.2-liter diesel with 150bhp or 190bhp, and a 240bhp 2.0-liter petrol unit. That may come as a disappointment for some as it is common knowledge that making a convertible takes some extra weight and strengthening. The soft-top retracting mechanism is neatly snug below the belt-line and the distinctive shape of the original has been preserved to near perfection.

Inside, one still gets a hefty amount of Evoquishness – Terrain Response, surround cameras, Park Assist, an 8-inch dual view touch screen and a Meridian sound system. Predominant colors in the passenger area are Lunar and Ivory while outside, the body work is Causeway Grey metallic, complemented by 21-inch wheels that have a Titan silver finish.

The Evoque Convertible Concept really does look like a bathtub with a windshield but in a sort of a cool way. We really like the uncanny feel that this car radiates and we hope other people like it too. Production is still questionable and most likely the Geneva Show will play a decisive role in the concept’s future. Should the reception turn out positive we might see it in a couple of years on the streets.

Source: Land Rover

February 28, 2012

MEC design Mercedes-Benz W204

MEC design have released an overhauling program for the Mercedes-Benz C-class. It covers all the W204 range – from the C180K to C63AMG. Nothing groundbreaking – Just a bit of sound and style, a dash of chrome, and some carbon fiber.

To start off, we have a set of special “mecxtreme III“ 1-piece 9×20″ wheels, wrapped in 235/30 ZR 20 all rounders. A choice between two rear diffusers is given. One is carbon fiber, the other isn’t. Also, both of them are only compatible with the C63 Coupe with AMG Styling kit (sports package), post 2011. Then there’s some badging – A chromed “MEC Design” logo for the boot lid and – a replacement for the Mercedes-Benz star – a “MEC Design” emblem.

Inside, four floor mats finished with precious velours/ nubuck-leather embroidery and a MEC Design-logo will set you back 171 euros ($228). An even more voluminous expense is the MEC steering wheel which will be yours for 1,250 euros ($1,673) in exchange for the old one. Make that 1,440 euros ($1,928) if you want carbon inserts in it. Other than that, the wheel is said to be ergonomic with perforated leather on the handling area and MEC design inscriptions at the lower end.

Finally, to make sure that you don’t go anywhere unnoticed, MEC have provided some artillery pieces – two stainless steel mufflers with four oval tailpipes, sizing 115x85mm. The 4 cylinder models C200CGI, C250CGI should also get a splitter Y-piece pipe so that they can accommodate the two mufflers from each side. Here’s how a C63 AMG makes use of that orchestra:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLkP4UKeT6M&feature=youtu.be

Source: MEC design

February 28, 2012

Where it All Started – BMW M1

BMW-M1-thumb Throughout the years, besides being utterly magnificent, M BMW cars have always been a statement. “I am the kind of person which has a an impressive annual income, a family, clout and an insatiable thirst for sideway buffoonery”. Whichever M car one might choose, the perks are always going to be the same – practicality and sensibility get you trough the mazes of society while sheer power and playfulness make for a great time at the countryside. Small wonder then, that today many well dressed men consider the M batch of BMW’s as a really, really good investment. But few people ask themselves, how and when did it all begin? Let’s just say, that the whole practical performance, 5-door saloonishness was definitely not the case at the beginning of the M odyssey. Enter the 1978 M1 – BMW’s first and only mid-engined road car.

Its birth hadn’t been easy. The company had to act quickly as, at the time, the Porsche 911 was becoming increasingly dominant in the field of motor sports. Believe it or not, BMW needed help. And that help came from Lamborghini. Sort of. The Italian company was assigned to do the design, engineering and production work. Without a doubt, that sounds like a recipe for success – BMW overseering the company that brought to the world the Lamborghini Miura and the Countasch. Probably one of the most talented designers ever, Giorgetto Giugiaro, sketched the lines of the M1 with a particular signature that can be seen in other works of his, such as the Lotus Esprit. Sadly, the times were tough, an oil crisis swept the world and Lamborghini went bust. That meant that BMW had to turn to someone else to finish the job. It was a painstaking process that consumed both time and money. The end result was an overpriced, plastic car of a thing that spawned only 455 times. On top of that, by the time everything was sorted out, most of the motor sport regulations moved on and the Bavarian was left trailing behind.

The real tragedy however, is that, for its time, the M1 was a really decent car. It had the looks, it had the quintessential supercar setup (2 seats, mid-engined, rear-wheel drive), it weighed like a super car (1400 kg) and it had a wonderful 3.5 liter straight six engine that developed 273 bhp. And it wasn’t some sort of an experiment power plant, but a proper one with a Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection system and DOHC operating 24 valves in total. Later on the M635Csi and the first-generation M5 would get pretty much the same engine.

And that’s the thing about the M1. It died off quickly for a novel cause. Mercifully, the M badge stuck on, but now the BMW people were caught thinking – “Why don’t we shove such an engine in one of our own pefectly good saloons, beef up the brakes and suspensions and see what happens?” Today the results are evident. Almost every BMW car in the conteporary line up has an M counterpart which is hugely successful on the market and almost always highly valued by critics and automotive journalists.

February 27, 2012

Vorsteiner Carrera and Carrera S

Vorsteiner would rather have us excited about something before actually revealing it. That is why today we have a teaser of one of their latest project that involves the Porsche 991 Carrera and Carrera S. It is actually called the V-GT program.

While the pic is a teaser, we do have a list of features that will adorn the Carrera cars:

• Front Add-On Spoiler with integrated brake duct collectors Carbon Fiber Pre-Preg Autoclave
• Front GT Replaceable Center Splitter for additional downforce in Optical Carbon Fiber Pre-Preg Autoclave
• Side Skirt Panels with Integrated Carbon Fiber Blade Extension Element
• Lightweight re-sculpted front bonnet in Carbon Fiber Pre-Preg Autoclave
• Rear Add-On Diffuser with Integrated Aero Fins Carbon Fiber Pre-Preg Autoclave
• Rear Add-On Ducktail Wing Spoiler Element Carbon Fiber Pre-Preg Autoclave
• Lightweight Replacement Carbon Fiber Roof Panel
• 20 inch | 21 inch Forged Aluminum Wheel Options
• Stainless & Titanium Sport Exhaust Systems (Valve Control).

From Vorsteiner promise a more elaborate view (hind views included) soon.

Source: Vorsteiner

February 24, 2012

Toyota Yaris 80 mpg, soon in UK

The new Toyota Yaris is out to prove that it is one of the most efficient vehicles on markets today. Pre-ordering in the UK is now available while the deliveries are expected to kick off on the 1st of July. One of the most exceptional things about it is the price – under £15,000 ($23,721). In other words, the most affordable Hybrid on the island for now.

There are other admirable feats that the Yaris makes. The economy for example – 80.7 mpg from a 99 bhp engine. Keep in mind that that kind of power is more than enough when we are talking about a supermini like the Yaris. This is also not at the expense of everyday luxuries. The car still has air-conditioning and an automatic gearbox as standard.

The key to that stunning economy is minimising the time on any given journey when the

petrol engine is running. These “zero-emission” periods can be as much as one third of a typical urban journey.

That means less CO2 emissions as well. 79 g/km is what comes out from behind. That means great financial relief for customers in the UK – no road tax nor a London congestion charge.

All in all, the Yaris has been a great supermini for years now, and today it still sounds great and even further, the bargain of the year.

Source: Toyota

February 24, 2012

The Carlsson CK63 RS (CLS 63 AMG) at Geneva

It’s rare to see people expressing discontent from an AMG product, but just to be safe, German tuning house Carlsson have an ambitious project – The Carlsson CK63 RS. It is based on the current Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG but with a bigger bite, lower ride and a dash of exclusivity. Carlsson do mean business, for a performance bundled version of the CK63 RS is set to appear to the public at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The standard CLS 63 AMG with Performance package has a 5.5 V8 biturbo engine that feeds 557 BHP and 800 Nm of torque to the AMG Speedshift 7-speed sports gearbox. After Carlsson had finished working with it, that bar had been set even higher even higher, or so they claim – 652 BHP and one thousand Nm of torque. That is why, the Carlsson engineers also saw fit to instal an additional transmission oil cooling system. All this effort translates into a time of 4.1 seconds on the 60mph sprint. A very loud sprint if we may add. The exhaust system has been replaced by a tailor-made, multi-flow, complete stainless steel setup with downpipes, metal catalysts and front and rear silencers. Of course you can tone it down to become as silent as a gentle purr, thanks to the exhaust damper system controlled manually from the driving seat. But who would leave it like that?

Few would dare to modify the handling of a Performance package AMG but the newfound power calls for some tweaks – the front axle springs have been replaced with Carlsson springs with more progressive spring characteristics. Also as a consequence the ride is now 30 mm lower. The whole car sits on 1/10-type Carlsson wheels – 9 x 20” rims at the front and 10.5 x 20” at the back.

More personality is added when we look at the aerodynamic features of the Carlsson. A front spoiler and RS carbon spoiler lip decorate the nose while at the back we have a custom diffuser and a rear spoiler for greater downforce.

The interior of the CK63 RS can best be described as a blend of mocha-brown leather, brown Alcantara, carbon fiber, natural woods and more. The leather used is wet-dyed, providing the feeling of a fine leather glove and, because the finished product is 1/1.4 millimeters thick, it is also particularly durable. Other Carlsson highlights include the foot mats, door sill panels with blue, illuminated Carlsson lettering and door-locking pins made from polished aluminum. It’s not all upholstery though. We do not excel much in IT, but the Carlsson have fitted a ‘Viprinet Multichannel VPN Router 500’… which sounds fast. In fact it is. The company says that with this the RS will have a stable high-speed Internet connection even at high speeds.

Source: Carlsson

February 24, 2012

European Honda CR-V Prototype

Images have been released of the European CR-V Prototype which is due to make its debut on the 6^th of March. Its purpose is to show the future Honda way of design and style. This one will be the fourh generation of a successful CV-R family, that will go on sale this Autumn.

Differences with the previous model manifest themselves mainly at the front – a more “aggressive stance” thanks to a new fascia. The lower front bumper wraps smartly upward to show off the CR-V‘s SUVishness. It is also said that now it integrates more smoothly into the fascia thus improving aerodynamics. We, frankly, don’t remember the bumper of the last CR-V being dragged around, hanging by a thread. No word on engine bits or interior.

The Honda Press Conference will take place at 09.15 CET on Tuesday 6 March. Hopefully more information will be released there. For the time being we have a gallery in which you can look around.

Source: Honda

February 24, 2012

Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification

You know the Bentley Mulsanne, right? It has been the flagship Bentley for quite a while and now we have a fresh new version. It’s called the Mulliner Driving Specification and is here to keep the things afloat. Well… it will be here actually: the debut is set for the 82^nd Geneva Motor Show.

Highlighting the spec, are four 21-inch, light aluminum alloy wheels bolted in place with titanium fasteners. The overall finish on them comes in two forms: painted or polished. Together with the 265/40 ZR21 tires, the wheels grant the Bentley an agile and dynamic stance on the road.

There are also other smallish design touches such as the wing vents that take the shape of the emblematic “Flying B” symbol. There’s also an inscription on them that reads “Mulliner”. A whole new perforation process has been developed to make the inside of the car look like a diamond patterned sofa. The gear lever holds baseball-like lather stitches on its side. There’s a grippy, ‘coined’ surface on the metal interior door handles while the pedals are made of drilled alloy only. While the upper surface of the door sills is busy reading “Mulsanne”, their sides are available to display Mulliner treadplate plaques that seal this particular Bentley as a Driving Specification.

In spite of the old-school air vent pull knobs, there is a ‘sport’ setting on the rotary switch mounted next to the gearshift selector. It is a tiny reminder that this is not a 19^th glassware cabinet but a state of the art performance saloon. We have a 505 bhp, 6.75 liter V8 monstrosity under the hood which is good for a 5.1 second 60mph sprint run and a top speed of 184 mph. That power needs management and that’s why we also have a Drive Dynamics Control system which operates the suspension and steering. Now with a ‘sport’ mode on, the Mulsanne can take bends at high-speeds without breaking your back.

Partly irrelevant to the Mulliner Driving Spec. will be the addition of bottle cooler and sunroof options within the whole Mulsanne line. The cooler is integrated into the back seats and has space for two full-sized champagne bottles in upright position. It also comes with three hand-blown champagne flutes made exclusively for Bentley by the designer David Redman. All can be cleverly concealed when not in use.

Should you ever feel claustrophobic in a Mulsanne, which is unlikely, you can opt for the tilt-opening, tinted glass sunroof. It floods the cabin with light and gives an extra dimension of space, providing additional ventilation while avoiding the security risk of open windows.

Bentley Musanne Mulliner Driving Specification (2012)

Source: Bentley

February 23, 2012

New Morgan Roadster 3.7

Morgans have always been about the nostalgic spirit of classical roadsters and coupes. That is why almost all of the current Morgan cars look like as if they have been stolen from a collector’s garage. They are for people who would love to take a ride around the country side in a real time machine. No, really, they can go fast enough to throw you back to the past because underneath the hood one won’t find a grandfather’s clock but a masterful modern engine. The Morgan Roadster is no exception from that rule – techy performance concealed in an old-school shell.

Power comes from a Ford 3.7 Cyclone V6 engine that develops 280 hp at 6000rpm and 352 Nm of torque. A Ford six speed manual gearbox on the other hand, crunches those numbers into sheer force on the tarmac. Keeping in mind that this car weights only 950 kg, the engine propels it to 60mph from a stand still in just 5.5 seconds. Mighty brisk! That is why the suspension is also clever enough to keep the car on the road – there’s a limited slip differential with cone drive for that extra grip and sideways buffoonery.

Inside, leather welcomes you to strap yourself in and enjoy the dashboard blend of digital and analogue dials – a surreal combination of both worlds. Most of the instruments are framed in woods which is just an example of how exotic this car really is. The convertible roof, although not automatic, is easy to install and creates a warm and private atmosphere.

Source: Morgan

February 23, 2012

Subaru BRZ in the UK

Subaru-BRZ-thumb In the UK, the Subaru BRZ will be equipped with a generous array of standard features. The company is pleased to know that on the island interest is brewing. The sole example of that is the fact that people there are preordering already, without even knowing the spec prices.

It is clear now however, that the top of the line BRZ‘s will come with 17-inch alloy wheels, a torque-sensing LSD, front, side, curtain and knee airbags, MP3 connectivity, dual-zone climate control and LED daytime running lights. The driver-focussed BRZ will also come with Subaru’s VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) that can be adapted to work with either a six-speed short-shift manual or a paddle-operated automatic transmission.

A lower-spec car will also become available later this year followed by an even more modest, stripped out version dedicated to those who would like to customize it in their own likes. It will also be ideal for track-day enthusiasts.

Six eye-catching colors will be available for the BRZ – Subaru’s trademark WR Blue Mica, Sterling Silver, Satin White, Crystal Black Silica, Dark Grey Metallic and San Remo Red.

The car is notable for its tremendous low gravity center courtesy to the 200PS 2.0-litre Boxer engine that sits well under the hood. Power-to-weight ratio is said to be 164PS per tonne which makes it powerful indeed but with the lightweight materials used in making it, the BRZ will also handle brilliantly.

Here is a quick list of the top-of-the line UK spec:

17-inch alloy wheels	USB and iPod connectivity
Torque-sensing LSD (Limited Slip Differential)	HID headlamps
VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and ABS	Front fog lamps
Front, side, curtain and knee airbags	LED daytime running lights
Cruise control system	Body-coloured, electric-folding, head door mirrors
Dual-zone automatic air-conditioning system	Leather seats
Radio CD player with six-speaker system	Heated front seats
Key-less entry with Push Button Start system	Leather steering wheel and gear knob

Source: Subaru

February 23, 2012

Author: Tsvetan Varbanov