Victor Ivanov – Page 231 – Automobiles Review

2012 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car on earth with over 2200 units sold. So the manufacturer continues the tradition and the new 2012 model is now available to buy for “just” €161 750. The price is huge, but the car worth every Eurocent.

The car is powered by the famous 3.8 liter flat-six with 450PS (331 kW). The maximum engine speed is 8500RPM and it also comes with a race exhaust system with a controlled catalytic converter keeps emissions to a minimum

2012 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup also has a new 100-liter FT3 fuel tank. The car stands on light alloy rims 9.5J x 18” at the front and 12J x 18” at the rear fitted with 25/64/18 and 30/68/18 Michelin race tyres, respectively.

The controls for the info display are positioned on the steering wheel which houses six switches.

There is no doubt, that the new 911 GT3 Cup will bring a lot of exciting hours on the racetracks.

Source: Porsche

August 2, 2011

Honda CR-Z Mugen RR Concept

Honda CR-Z Mugen RR Concept will demonstrate the tuner’s capabilities in terms of function, style, performance and agility. The vehicle was produced by M-TEC in Japan for show purposes only.

The car was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but now the manufacturer has released more information about it. CR-Z Mugen RR Concept boasts Valencia Orange Pearl exterior paint work and an aggressive M-TEC body kit including a carbon fiber hood, doors and tailgate. There are also a dual sport exhaust system, a sport-tuned suspension and 18” alloy wheels. The brake system includes a 4-piston calipers.

It is powered by a supercharged 1.5-liter engine and an IMA hybrid system. The combined powerl is 200PS (147 kW) and 245Nm(181 lb-ft) of torque. 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.

The interior has colour-coded leather and Alcantara seats and a race-developed information screen. It has the ability to record chassis and engine data as well as housing a Satellite navigation and audio system. This high tech kit will monitor the car over two laps to “learn” a circuit and then record lap data and vehicle tracking using GPS.

Source: Honda

August 2, 2011

2012 Mazda CX-5 at the Frankfurt Motor Show

MMC (Mazda Motor Corporation) has announced the new 2012 Mazda CX-5 compact crossover SUV, which will be exhibited at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday, 13 September.

The vehicle will adopt SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY and the new design theme – KODO – Soul of Motion.

The compact crossover SUV will compete against the proven BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLK and Audi Q5. 2012 CX-5 will come with a SKYACTIV-G 2.0 gasoline engine and SKYACTIV-D 2.2 diesel engine. Both power units will be available in Standard Power and High Power versions.

Mazda’s engineers focused on achieving exceptional environmental performance for a compact SUV and targeted CO₂ emissions of less than 120g/km for the SKYACTIV-D 2.2 engined model.

Joining the CX-5 on Mazda’s stand at the Frankfurt Show will be the upgraded Mazda3. This hugely popular Mazda now delivers lower CO₂ emissions, more sporty and stable driving dynamics, with an updated interior and exterior design, and higher quality levels.

Check out Mazda’s main exhibits at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, below!

Mazda at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

New Models	Mazda CX-5 (World premiere) Mazda3 upgraded model (European premiere)
New Technology	New Mazda SKYACTIV-G direct injection gasoline engine New Mazda SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine New Mazda SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmission New Mazda SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission
Current vehicle range on sale in Europe	Mazda2, Mazda5, Mazda6, Mazda MX-5, Mazda CX-7

*Standard Power SKYACTIV-D 2.2 model with front-wheel-drive, SKYACTIV-MT manual transmission and i-stop fuel-saving technology

Source: Mazda

August 2, 2011

2011 Ford Focus Studio Price – £13 995

Ford added another special model to its range – 2011 Focus Studio. It will hit the market in September and the price starts from £13 995 for the entry level and goes up to £24 000 for the top-of-the-range Titanium X with 6-speed Powershift automatic transmission and 163PS TDCi engine.

The new Studio replaces the popular Ford Focus Sport, which reached sales of 15,000.

Among the standard equipment you will find 16” alloy wheels, body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player, USB connectivity, AC, electrically-operated body-coloured door mirrors with integrated turn indicators, electrically-operated front windows, Ford Easy Fuel capless refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with torque vectoring control.

2011 Ford Focus Studio will be offered as a five-door hatchback with 85PS 1.6 Ti-VCT engine returning 47.9mpg. There will be three colour choices – Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White.

“With the high end of the new Focus range fully established, we are now making it easier for customers to get behind the wheel at the entry level – and this new Studio model is not only affordable but it is also well equipped, attractive and economical too.”, commented Nigel Sharp, Ford of Britain managing director.

Source: Ford

August 1, 2011

MINI Soho Special Edition

MINI has announced two new Soho Edition models – Hatch and Convertible. MINI Soho will be launched in limited edition and will be available in both Cooper and Cooper D models from July until March 2012.

Thanks to the MINI Cooper D Hatch’s frugal credentials it is exempt from London Congestion charging with CO₂ of just 99g/km and a whopping 74.3mpg fuel consumption on combined cycle.
MINI Soho Edition comes in exclusive White Silver metallic paint, which is not available on any other current MINI Hatch or Convertible model. The car also boasts 17″ Black Star Bullet alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights with black interior reflectors and white indicators.

The interior includes Anthracite headlining, a 3-Spoke sport leather steering wheel and Piano Black interior surfaces.

Check out the price list, below!

Pricing

Model	OTR Price
MINI Cooper Soho Hatch	£16,765
MINI Cooper D Soho Hatch	£18,045
MINI Cooper Soho Convertible	£19,060
MINI Cooper D Soho Convertible	£20,135

Source: MINI

August 1, 2011

CoverEFX MINI R53 Project One

CoverEFX has introduced their tuning program for MINI R53. The German tuning house offers both styling as well as a performance package.

The exterior boasts a full metal coating of the car using the special CoverEFX paints such as “teflon-gray-metallic” and “electro-red-metallic”. There are also some elements covered with shiny black lacquer.

R53 ProjectONe stands on 17” Multispoke alloy wheels finished in matte black with an orange rim. The stance is further improved by a lowered sports suspension.

The performance package boosts the small 1.6 liter turbocharged petrol engine to whopping 240PS. There is no data for the performance, but there is no doubt that this will be one fast MINI Cooper.

The price for these upgrades was 8 000 Euro.

All parts are tested and approved.

Source: CoverEFX

August 1, 2011

2012 BMW 1-Series 116i ES Price – £19 375

2012 BMW 1-Series will hit the UK market on 17 September 2011, with a choice of three diesel and two petrol engines. The price tag is £19 375 otr for a BMW 116i ES. This is the second generation 1-Series as the first had huge success all over the world.

However, this is a completely different car featuring a unique and rewarding combination of agile, precise handling, improved aesthetics and innovative technology.

As we speaking for technology, the new 1-Series will be available with the superb 116d EfficientDynamics, which breaks the 100g/km mark.

2012 BMW 1-Series remains the only rear-wheel drive car in its class and with its highly powerful and efficient TwinPower petrol and diesel engines, offers a sporty but fuel-efficient proposition boosted by BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies fitted as standard.

The previous generation BMW 1 Series has had enormous success selling more than 2.2 million units globally, as well as being the first car in the premium compact segment.

Model	Power HP	Torque NM	0 to 100 km/h	Top Speed km/h	Combined mpg	CO2 Emissions g/km	Pricing OTR
BMW 116i	136	220	8.5	209	49.6	132	£19375
BMW 118i	170	250	7.4	225	47.9	137	£21985
BMW 116d	116	260	10.3	199	62.8	117	£20195
BMW 118d	143	320	8.9	212	62.8	118	£22030

2012 BMW 1-Series FrontSide

Standard equipment
Auto Start-Stop, six-speed manual transmission, 16-inch light alloy wheels, four airbags, DSC+, Drive Performance Control with ECO PRO, BMW Business radio with single CD player, air-conditioning, 60:40 folding rear seats, child seat ISOFIX attachments, Move cloth upholstery and leather steering wheel.

Other specifications– SE: Freestanding high-resolution 6.5” flatscreen monitor and iDrive controller, Bluetooth hands-free facility with USB audio interface and a multi-function leather steering wheel with speed limiting function.– BMW Sport: Sport style 17-inch star-spoke light-alloy wheels, Dark Chrome exhaust pipe and high-gloss black kidney grille, central air intake trim, side intake surrounds and rear bumper trim. Exclusive sport design sports seats, leather sports steering wheel, high-gloss black interior trim with Coral Red or grey accents.– BMW Urban: Urban style 17-inch V-spoke light alloy wheels, chrome kidney grille with white slat sides and trim bar for the central air intake, amongst a host of stylish design details. Inside, Metro cloth/leather seats, leather sports steering wheel and an acrylic glass interior trim in black or white with Oxide Silver accents.

Optional highlights High-beam Assistant, Adaptive Headlights, Park Assist, Reversing Assist Camera, Lane Departure Warning including Collision Warning, cruise control with brake function, speed-limit and no-passing information. In addition, occupants can benefit from internet connectivity, smartphone and music player integration, real-time traffic information, as well as web radio, Facebook and Twitter apps.

2012 BMW 1-Series

Source: BMW

July 29, 2011

Anderson Germany Maserati GranTurismo S Superior Black Edition

Anderson Germany has introduced their tuning program for the stylish Maserati GranTurismo S. The name of the project is Superior Black Edition and as you may suggest, the car comes in a silky matte-black exterior.

However, there are some shiny elemets like the window frames, grill and the rear logo. Matching to the whole ensemble both front and tail lamps are tinted.

The aerodynamics kit includes a new bonnet, side mirror covers, tailgate lip spoiler as well as a
front and rear aprons and side air inlets. All parts are made from carbon fiber, which is extremely light and strong.

Finally, Anderson fitted a new stainless-steel sport exhaust system for better sound and more horsepower, of course.

The tuner also provides a performance package, which boost the mighty 4.7 liter V8 to 492PS (362 kW), instead of the factory’s 440PS (324 kW).

Anderson Maserati GranTurismo S stands on enormous glossy black 21” rims fitted with 265 low profile tires up front and 295 low profile tires at the rear. The stance is further improved by a set of lowering springs.

The interior boasts complete carbon package consisting of the air inlets, door knobs, the switch desk in the roof liner, the door sill panels, the steering wheel, the seat regulation levers, the shifting paddles, as well as the radio mask.

The black carbon leather combined with also black Alcantara are also present.

Anderson Germany Maserati GranTurismo S Superior Black Edition Rear

Source: Anderson Germany

July 29, 2011

2012 Honda Civic – more confident, clever and versatile

Honda will exhibit the ninth generation hatchback for Europe at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Until then, the manufacturer has released two pictures, where the new Civic is completely covered.

Still, Honda is aiming to create more confident, clever and versatile Civic, which will offer stand-out looks combined with class-leading space for passengers and luggage. Quality and comfort levels have improved dramatically over the outgoing model.

2012 Honda Civic will hit the market sometime in the next year.

The engineers in the company focused a huge amount of time and effort improving ride quality and handling of the Civic, and through significant changes to the suspension set-up they have enhanced both comfort and body control. Of course, the new car has been tested on public roads as well as race tracks.

To give customers the biggest cabin and boot space in the C-sector, the Civic retains a rear torsion beam suspension system – but the latest set-up uses clever fluid-filled compliance bushes to improve overall ride performance and handling. It has also been strengthened to give better stability, particularly at high speeds.

Stay tuned for more information about the engine range.

Source: Honda

July 29, 2011

2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Interior

Mercedes-Benz has released some Interior pictures of the upcoming 2012 B-Class. The manufacturer will put high-quality materials and some additional extras in the hatchback.

There will be various cabin finishes and the dashboard is available in stitched ARTICO man-made leather like in the S-class. Good!

The steering wheel in all Benzes was awful, but we like the new three-spoke one, which is borrowed from the CLS. The instrument cluster panel is made up of four analogue dials with two small ones on the inside bottom-right of the speedometer and tachometer.

2012 B-Class was designed at Mercedes-Benz’s Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy, so we expect Italian perfection, which will take the “compact class to a whole new level”.

The 2012 B-Class will be showcased at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show in September and hits the market Europe in November.

Stay tuned for more details!

2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Interior Dashboard

Source: Mercedes-Benz

July 29, 2011

Aston Martin Cygnet at the 2011 Bridgestone Eco-Rally

Aston Martin will take part at the 5th annual Bridgestone Eco-Rally this weekend. The manufacturer will take two Cygnet models. The rally showcases the world’s best eco-friendly vehicles in association with “Start”, an initiative inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales to celebrate eco-friendly living.

Aston Martin Cygnet is powered by a а 1.33 litre dual VVT-I four-cylinder petrol engine with 98PS (72 kW) at 6000RPM and 125Nm (92 lb-ft) at 4400RPM. 0 to 100 km/h takes 11.8 seconds and the top speed is 170 km/h (106 mph). The small city car returns 56.5 mpg, which is exactly 5 litres per 100 km.

One of the Cygnets entering the event will be dressed in Seychelles Blue, the paint colour of the Aston Martin DB6 Mark II Volante recently driven by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day. Aside from the two formal entries, a third Cygnet will also be supporting the event in eye-catching “Flouro Orange”, the hallmark of London-based designer Tom Dixon.

Driven by Aston Martin Racing regular, Darren Turner and David King, Aston Martin’s Director of Special Projects and Motorsport, the two Cygnets will be on the extended route from Exeter College, Oxford to The Mall, London.

The rally begins on Broad Street, Oxford at 10:00 and concludes at 14:30 on the 31^st July.

“I have been a fan of Cygnet from the start. It’s a great city car, easy to manoeuvreand park and a lot of fun to drive.”, commented Darren Turner.

“To drive Cygnet in a busy city is to experience a car ideally suited to its environment. Cygnet is tiny, with impressively low emissions but with all the style and craftsmanship of the finest luxury cars.”, said David King.

“I’m looking forward to demonstrating Cygnet on the Bridgestone Eco-Rally, maybe it’s my one and only chance to beat Darren Turner!”, he finished.

Aston Martin Cygnet 2011 - Bridgestone Eco-Rally — Aston Martin Cygnet 2011 – Bridgestone Eco-Rally

Source: Aston Martin

July 29, 2011

BMW i8 and i3

BMW has introduced the first series-production all-electric vehicle by the brand. Two vehicles will be exhibited at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The first is BMW i3 Concept, which is based on Mega City Vehicle concept. The small city car boasts RWD and an electric motor producing up to 170PS (125 kW) and 250Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. 0 to 60 km/h in 3.9 seconds and to 100 km/h in just 7.9 seconds. Not bad for an all-electric vehicle. The range of the vehicle is 130 to 160 km (80 to 100 miles).

The dimensions of i3 Concept are 3845 mm in length, 1537 mm height and 2011 mm width. The wheelbase is just a bit smaller than 1-Series – 2570 mm. The kerb weight is just 1250 kg, so the vehicle will be easy to drive with good dynamics.

The luggage compartment is satisfying – 200 litres.

BMW i3 Concept Front

Second is the i8 Concept, which is a plug-in hybrid sports car. The same electric motor is mounted on the front axle and is couple with a 1.5 liter three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. The overall power is staggering – 353PS (260 kW) and 550Nm of torque.

As you may suggest, the performance is awesome – 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155mph). Still, the vehicle manages to return 104 mpg, which is 2.7 litres per 100 km. The range on electricity is 35 km (20 miles).

The dimensions of i8 Concept are 4632 mm in length, 1280 mm height and 1955 mm width. The wheelbase is 2800mm. The kerb weight is just 1480 kg.

The luggage compartment is 150 litres.

Check out the pictures, videos and full specifications, below!

BMW i8 Concept Side

BMW i3 Concept Specifications:

Length/Height/Width	L 3845 mm, H 1537 mm, W 2011 mm
Wheelbase	2570 mm
No. of seats	4
Kerb weight	1250 kg
Output	125 kW / 250 Nm
Top speed	150 km/h / 93 mph
Acceleration	0-60 km/h / 37 mph 3.9 s0-100 km/h / 62 mph 7.9 s 80-120 km/h / 50-75 mph 6.0 s
Electric range	Everyday range: 130-160 km / 80-100 milesFTP72 cycle: 225 km / 140 miles
Battery charge time	Standard: 6 h for 100% chargeOptional: 1 h for 80% charge
Luggage compartment	approx. 200 litres

BMW i8 Concept Specifications:

Length/Height/Width	L 4632 mm, H 1280 mm, W 1955 mm
Wheelbase	2800 mm
No. of seats	2 + (2)
Kerb weight	1480 kg
Output	260 kW /550 Nm system output of which petrol engine: 164 kW / 300 Nmof which electric motor: 96 kW / 250 Nm
Top speed	250 km/h / 155 mph governed
Acceleration	0-100 km/h / 62 mph 4.6 s80-120 km/h / 50-75 mph 4.0 s
Fuel consumption (EU cycle):	2.7 l/100 km / 104 mpg imp (66 g CO2)
Electric range	approx. 35 km / 20 miles
Battery charge time	Standard: 1:45 h for 100% charge
Luggage compartment	approx. 150 litres

Source: BMW

July 29, 2011

Author: Victor Ivanov