Victor Ivanov – Page 139 – Automobiles Review

Audi Automatic Driving for Parking

Here is an interesting video clip of Audi’s latest automatic parking system. It operates with the help of ultrasound or cameras, which display images via the onboard monitor.

This is a very convenient solution for parking and saves a lot of time. Furthermore, you can pick up your car from the destination you left it. Audi’s Automatic Driving for Parking seeks for suitable spot and performs performs all the necessary steering movements; it can handle both parallel parking and parking perpendicular to the street.

Park assist can perform multi-point parking maneuvers and also offers support in leaving parallel parking spaces.

Another technology from Audi is the parking system plus with surround view cameras. Four small cameras – in the single-frame grille, at the rear and in the side mirror housings – record the vehicle’s immediate surroundings. The driver can call up a variety of views on the large onboard monitor, including a top-down virtual view. On corners or junctions with an obstructed view, the system can analyze cross-traffic otherwise invisible to the driver in front of or behind the vehicle.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_m8DqTlOLE

Source: YouCarPress via Youtube

January 22, 2013

Subaru BRZ – “Best of 2013” Winner

2013 Subaru BRZ Sport has been named “Best of 2013” by Cars.com. The RWD sports car delivers pinpoint handling precision and an unmatched driving experience for sports car enthusiasts of all skill levels.

“As the first sports car to win our top honor, that says as much about the American car market as it does about our criteria. We look for value, quality and innovation,” commented Patrick Olsen, Editor in Chief, Cars.com.

The one and only purpose of the BRZ is to bring driving pleasure, that’s why the manufacturer has created a light car with an ultra-low center of gravity and precision steering. The naturally aspirated 2.0 liter BOXER engine with 200HP is powerful enough to satisfy even the most demanding customers. Furthermore, the BRZ is a sports car that does not sacrifice everyday comfort and practicality.

It features 2+2 layout with a folding rear seat, so there is sufficient cargo space to transport four race tires and tools to track days. Combined with the Subaru brand’s renowned safety and quality, the BRZ is a sports car with practicality as well as performance.

The BRZ went on sale in Spring 2012 to strong media reviews and contributed to Subaru’s fourth consecutive year of sales records.

The Subaru BRZ was co-developed with Toyota Motor Cars and the Scion-branded FR-S also received the Best of 2013 award.

Source: Subaru

January 22, 2013

Porsche 918 Spyder – Price $845,000

Porsche announced the pricing of the 2014 918 Spyder. The sports car will be sold in the US with a starting price of $845,000 excluding destination and handling fees.

The 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder is powered by a 4.6 liter V8 with 580HP (432 kW) and 500Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. The petrol engine will be paired with an electric motor generating 245HP (183 kW) more, so the overall power will be around 795HP (593 kW) and 780Nm (575 lb-ft).

0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph).

Still, if this isn’t faster enough, you can opt for the Weissach package for additional – $84,000. It reduces the curb weight with 34 kg (77 lbs) by removing the audio system, air conditioning, door storage and armrest, while the regular paint is removed to be change with an exterior foil.

In other words, you’ll have to pay $84,000 to the manufacturer to strip your car. Definitely, not a good idea!

Source: Porsche

January 22, 2013

2013 Nissan 370Z Nismo

Nissan has announced a new 2013 370Z Nismo, which will hit the market this summer. The sports car comes with increased power and a new body kit.

The 3.7 liter naturally aspirated V6 is boosted from 328HP to 344HP (253 kW) at 7,400RPM. The torque is also higher – 370Nm (273 lb-ft) at 5,200RPM. The throttle response has been improved so more of the power should be available from 2,000 RPM. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox – 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds – 0.1 second faster.

The body kit includes a bigger diffuser with integrated twin exhausts, wider side skirts, fixed rear wing and a revised front end featuring a splitter. The result is more down-force.

2013 370Z Nismo rolls 19” alloy wheels fitted with 245/40 front and 285/35 rear Bridgestone Potenza tires.

The ride height has been lowered and the dampers, springs and brakes – revised.

The interior boasts an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, a pair of Nismo seats and some red and black trim.

Source: Nissan

January 22, 2013

Arden Jaguar F-Type – More Power and Wind in the Hair

Arden has revealed their tuning project for the high-anticipated Jaguar F-Type, which was introduced only several months ago. The drop-top gets not only styling, but performance modifications, too.

The roadster gets power upgrade for the mighty V8 S model, which is boosted to whopping 550HP (404 kW), which is an increase of 55HP (40 kW). Another performance kit is expected for the V6 models.

There is also a high-performance brake system behind the huge 20” Sportline alloy wheels.

The car is finished in the famous British Racing Green paint, which suits just perfectly to the stylish roadster.

Source: Arden

January 21, 2013

1969 McLaren M7C and MP4-12C Spider

McLaren is going to celebrate their 50^th anniversary on September 2^nd, this year.

The original name of the company is Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd and it has been launched since 1963. For the celebration, McLaren will use a 50th anniversary logo on everything from their shirts to the new MP4-28 Formula 1 that will debut on January 31^st. They also intend to host a lot of unique events and celebration throughout the year.

If we were to follow Bruce’s words to the letter, there’d be little time for recollection, but on the eve of our half-century there’s surely time for the briefest of breaths and the opportunity to take a look behind us at the sweeping vista built up in the indelible shadow of our founder:

Our Formula 1 team has become a global household name; since our arrival in the sport, at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, we have won more races (182) than any other constructor, started from pole position 155 times and scored 151 fastest laps. In 2012, we achieved the fastest-ever time for a Formula 1 pitstop (2.31s at Hockenheim), recorded our 58^th consecutive points-scoring finish, an all-time record, and have now led more than 10,000 racing laps.
The exploits of our greatest world champions will always bring F1 to life: Emerson Fittipaldi ignited the passion of his native Brazil; James Hunt created as many headlines on the front pages as on the back; Niki Lauda and Alain Prost turned sport to science; the burning intensity of Ayrton Senna will live on for ever, while Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton will always be remembered for their raw speed and fearless aggression.
Our legacy in North American sportscar racing is writ equally large: in the heyday of the mighty CanAm series, we steamrollered the opposition, lifting five successive championship trophies (1967-1971) and winning an incredible 43 races in our iconic, thundering V8-engined sportscars.
We went to the Indy 500 for the first time in 1970, returning with greater strength until we won the USA’s most famous motor race in 1974 with Johnny Rutherford. We repeated the feat with Rutherford in 1976, too.

Today, every single car in Formula 1, the Indycar Series and NASCAR relies upon McLaren Electronics’ standardised ECUs to control their engines and feed data back to the garage.
Introduced back in 1993, the McLaren F1 road car has lost none of its unique appeal and is still considered by many to be automotive world’s definitive supercar. To this day, it remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car in the world. In GTR racing guise, it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, also scooping third, fourth and fifth places on its debut in 1995.
The next roadcar project was with German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, and saw the successful build of the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which became the best-selling carbon-based car ever.
Since its launch in 2010, McLaren Automotive has developed into a world-class road car manufacturer, successfully developing and building the 12C and the 12C Spider high performance sports cars. Both models exploit our unparalleled understanding of carbon fibre and electronic driver systems to create a groundbreaking product of unequalled weight, strength, performance and driveability.
In a return to our sportscar roots, the debut of the 12C GT3 was an unqualified success, scoring 19 victories on its competitive debut in 2012. In September, as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes crossed the flag to win in Monza, McLaren’s GT cars also took top spot at races in British, French and Spanish championships – an incredible achievement.
Fittingly, this year, McLaren Automotive stands poised to open its 50^th global dealership ahead of the worldwide launch of the P1™ – our newest model and a machine that’s set to rewrite the definition of the modern supercar.
Away from the track, McLaren leads the world in the application of Formula 1 technology and expertise to other industries. McLaren Applied Technologies helped British cyclists, rowers, sailors and canoeists win 15 gold medals last summer. We worked alongside Specialized to design Mark Cavendish’s world championship-winning S-Works Venge bicycle. Working with Birmingham Children’s hospital, we have improved the monitoring of sick children in intensive care. McLaren has also designed systems to help the Bay Area Rapid Transit railway in San Francisco to run more efficiently and to reduce the CO₂ emissions from plane movements at airports.

Source: McLaren

January 21, 2013

World’s Fastest Production Car from 0 – 300 km/h – Hennessey Venom GT

Hennessey Performance (HPE) has broken two sensational Guinness records. The first one is “Fastest Production Car from 0 – 300 km/h” and the second “Fastest Production Car from 0 – 200 mph”. The “tool” was a street-legal Venom GT supercar.

The acceleration time was an average of two runs made in opposite directions within one hour and validated by a VBox 3i GPS-based data logging system. VBox officials were on hand to certify the numbers as required by Guinness rules. The first run was completed in 13.18 seconds with a 4 mph tailwind. The second run was made in 14.08 seconds while encountering a 6 mph headwind. The resulting two-way 0-300 km/h average was 13.63 seconds.

“We are exceptionally proud of our team at HPE who helped to make this new Guinness® World Record possible,” commented company founder and president, John Hennessey.

“This is just the first of several validation tests designed to show the world what our special car is all about – being the fastest. Period.”, he added.

The Hennessey Venom GT is powered by a 7.0 liter twin-turbocharged V8 – 1,244HP (915 kW) and 1,559Nm (1,155 lb-ft). The curb weight is 1,244 kg (2,743 lbs). So, the power-to-weight ratio is 1.

The street legal supercar has Michelin Pilot Sport Cup DOT-approved radial tires, uses 93-octane pump fuel, and has a full interior replete with high-end stereo, air conditioning, and bespoke leather/Alcantara seats.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s1eBox1i-0

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

Source: Hennessey

January 21, 2013

G-Power BMW E92 M3 RS Aero Package

G-Power has presented their aerodynamics enhancement program for BMW E92 M3.

The “RS” project is completely made from carbon fiber, making the M3 lighter and therefore faster. At the same time the G-POWER “RS” Carbon parts increases the aerodynamic downforce and thus provides for even faster cornering speeds.

The Aero Package includes a new front spoiler, boot lid including tear-off edge, a new hood, custom rear wing or the stock M3 GTS rear wing. The weight reduction from the bonnet and the boot lid is 10,7 kg.

Besides the weight reduction and boosting the down-force, the engine received the SK III Sporty Drive supercharger kit and the engine displacement is now 4.6 liters. The result is 720HP (529 kW).

Source: G-Power

January 21, 2013

Fast and Furious 6: Nissan GT-R

Fast and Furious 6 will make its premiere on May 24, this year. This is one of the most fan appreciated movies in the world and it will feature one of our favorite cars – heavily modified Nissan GT-R.

It was prepared by R’s Tuning, who redesigned the entire cooling system. In charge of installing a new aerodynamics package is BenSopra. Third party – the SP Engineering took care of the ECM calibration and used 100 octane to generate more power.

The package includes carbon fiber doors, door sills and trims, engine cover and a cooling panel. There is also a the carbon trunk and AMS performance carbon roof. The package also contains AeroCatch flush Mount Hood pins and Sparco trunk latches. The interior is also modified, but no information is available about the touches.

An entire carbon ceramic brake kit has been installed by Weapons Grade Performance. Camber arms om R’s Tuning and the engine has received a Switzer P800 turbo kit with the necessary tuning done by SP Engineering who installed a HKS downpipe and a resonated Y-pipe.

We are eager to see the action, which this machine will provide.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsoRgW4RiDI

Source: SP Engineering via Youtube

January 21, 2013

BRABUS B50 Mercedes E-Class Coupe

Brabus has introduced the B50-500 based on the Mercedes E-Class Coupe. The high-performance luxurious Coupe comes with a number of upgrades including styling and performance mods.

The 4.7 liter V8 bi-turbo engine is boosted to 500HP (368 kW) at 5,250RPM and 720Nm (531 lb-ft) of torque. This is an increase of 92HP (68 kW) and 120Nm (89 lb-ft). The B50-500 PowerXtra CGI performance kit includes new mapping for injection, ignition and boost pressure control, an additional water radiator lowers the boost air temperature further.

BRABUS recommends MOTUL high-performance lubricants.

BRABUS B50-500 Coupe has been tested by AUTO BILD SPORTSCARS magazine to reveal its true performance nature. 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 13.3. seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) – electronically limited.

The BRABUS B50-500 PowerXtra CGI performance kit is available for all current Mercedes E 500 models.

The car is furthermore equipped with the BRABUS quad sport exhaust system, which is also available for production E 500 Coupes. A BRABUS LSD (limited-slip differential) is available as an option for further improving traction and handling.

Brabus aerodynamics package for E-Class Coupe includes a new front spoiler with integrated LED daytime running lights; a new rear spoiler with diffuser; aluminum sport fenders with integrated inserts and a pair of modified side skirts.

BRABUS B50-500 Coupe also features sets of 19” wheels of the Monoblock VI, F, Q, R or S wheel designs. The dimensions are 8.5J x 19” and 9.5J x 19” at the rear fitted with 235/35 ZR 19 in front and 265/30 ZR 19 on the rear axle from Brabus technology partners Continental, Pirelli or YOKOHAMA.

The height-adjustable BRABUS sports suspension offers sporty handling in conjunction with a high ride comfort. It was developed in cooperation with technology partner BILSTEIN.

The interior boasts stainless-steel scuff plates with backlit BRABUS logo, a speedometer with 330-km/h dial (205 mph) and aluminum steering-wheel shift paddles. The interior design also features soft and durable BRABUS Mastik leather and Alcantara. Last, but not least are the aluminum shift knob and pedals.

Source: Brabus

January 18, 2013

2013 Seat Altea Copa Edition – UK Price £16,425

Seat is extending the Copa Edition trim level to the Altea and Altea XL ranges. Depending on edition, Copa specification gives buyers equipment worth between £1,100 and £1,500, free of charge.

2013 Seat Altea Copa Edition will be available in two trim levels – S Copa and SE Copa. They are based on the standard S and SE specifications respectively. So, now the range includes S, S Copa, SE and SE Copa trims and three engines: 1.2 TSI 105HP (77 kW) , 1.6 TDI 105HP , and 2.0 TDI 140HP (103 kW). DSG automatic is available as an option on either of the diesel engines.

S Copa includes the standard S specification and adds adds 16” ‘Elio’ alloy wheels; a Bluetooth communication package including hands-free phone connection, steering wheel-mounted controls and two additional stereo speakers; dual-zone climate control; front fog lights with cornering function; cruise control; passenger seat height adjustment. This represent saving of £1,500.

SE Copa includes the SE spec and adds the SEAT Media System 2.2. This is a SAT NAV system with an SD card reader for music playback, a DAB digital radio tuner, Bluetooth hands-free phone operation and audio streaming, and a multi-function driver’s display, all controlled via a five-inch colour touch screen. Other extras are rear parking sensors, automatic windscreen wipers and lights, and an auto-dimming rear view mirror, bringing the total value of this additional specification to around £1,100.

Altea and Altea XL Copa Editions can be ordered now, with first cars to reach the showrooms until the end of this month.

2013 Seat Altea Copa Edition Price List:

Source: Seat

January 18, 2013

2011 Dodge Challenger – Second Consecutive “Shopper’s Choice Award”

The 2011 Dodge Challenger is the ultimate muscle car for the enthusiasts. It has a powerful and efficient engine line-up, a performance suspension and aggressive styling. Of course, everything is combined just perfectly.

That’s why, it has become customers’ favorite car. It managed to beat out nine other domestic and import finalists, ranging from small cars to large SUVs. The 2011 The Dodge Challenger was awarded at Cars.com’s annual “Best of 2013” event during the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The top 10 finalists for the Shopper’s Choice Award were selected based on shoppers’ actions on the site that indicated interest in new vehicles, including searching for vehicles, sending inquiries to dealers on availability and most importantly, filling out a positive review of their vehicle.

The Dodge Challenger took home the title after grabbing the most votes from Cars.com Facebook fans in the final round of the competition.

The Dodge Challenger SXT models are powered by an aluminum 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 with 305HP (224 kW) and 362Nm (268 lb-ft) of torque. It is capable of returning up to 27 mpg on the highway. The R/T models have the legendary 5.7 liter HEMI V8 with 375HP (276 kW) and 554Nm (410 lb-ft) of torque. It returns 25 mpg highway.

New for 2013 is the Challenger Blacktop, available on the R/T model – America’s most affordable V-8 muscle car at just $29,995 US MSRP – and R/T Plus, adding sinister style to the Dodge brand’s iconic muscle car. Available in Pitch Black, Granite Crystal or Billet Silver Metallic, the Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop model includes Gloss Black 20” Aluminum Wheels with Gloss Black center caps, Gloss Black grille surround, Gloss Black fuel door and a new matte graphite body stripe with red edge accents running from the front to rear fascia, creating a truly one-of-a-kind appearance.

For added performance, the Dodge Challenger R/T Blacktop is equipped with the Super Track Pak, which includes a high-performance-steering gear, brake linings, and monotube-shock absorbers, P245/45 R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 Super Car three-season tires and three-mode ESC with “full off” mode. All-Season tires are available at no extra charge. The Dodge Challenger Blacktop package is available for a U.S. MSRP of only $1,995.

The list of customization options includes hood-to-fender stripes, dual stripes, bodyside stripes, nostalgic paint colors and a choice of six different wheel designs.

The safety features include standard ESC, Ready Alert Braking and Rain Brake Support, which are a small part of more than 45 systems.

Source: Dodge

January 18, 2013

Author: Victor Ivanov