Auto News – Page 749 – Automobiles Review

KTW Tuning Mercedes-Benz Citan

KTW Tuning has presented the tuned Mercedes-Benz Citan W 415. The city van boasts new stance, wheels and some nice accents.

The KTW Tuning 18” rims with five double spokes fit perfectly to the vehicle. The set is wrapped in appropriate XL tires there can be read the following side dimensions: 225/40ZR18 92Y. There are also additional 10mm spacers giving more width and nice stance.

Other nice upgrade is a set of KTW Tuning lowering springs reflecting on driving dynamics. Last are the red painted brake calipers.

The price for the complete conversion is just €1,999. Not much considering the new vision.

Source: KTW

December 27, 2012

2013 Subaru Stella Facelift for Japan

Subaru has announced the new 2013 Stella specially created for Japan domestic market. This is the second generation of the Stella, which was introduced in May last year, but the manufacturer already has prepared an updated version of the small vehicle.

2013 Stella is based on 5^th generation Daihatsu Move. The car has the same dimensions as before – 3395 mm length, 1475 mm width, 1620mm height and a 2455 mm wheelbase. The curb weight is 810 kg (1785 lbs) for the base level and up to 890 kg (1962 lbs) for top specs.

The small car is powered by a tiny engine – 0.66 liter three-cylinder petrol available in naturally-aspirated or turbocharged versions. Both have 64HP (48 kW) of power, but the turbocharged model reaches full power at 6,000 RPM while the regular version reaches it at 7,200 RPM.

The front suspension is MacPherson strut and a rear torsion bar. This guarantees good comfort as well as the standard extras – stop/start system and ventilated front discs. Other interesting upgrades are restyled front fascia and obstacle detection system, which is available as an option.

Source: Subaru

December 27, 2012

2012 Audi A6 Avant tuned by JMS

JMS has announced their tuning program for the all-new 2012 Audi A6 Avant. The styling kit will fit all models except S-Line package.

The tuning kit consists of: a new frontlip jms racelook exclusive line with an integrated diffuser (€319), fitted easy with glue and screws onto the series frontbumper. It lowers the front end with 3cm (1.1”). Other nice upgrade is a full KW Coilover adjustable suspension for €1,099. The ride can be lowered with up to 50mm at the front and 45mm at the rear (on the picture).

There is a set of of one-piece OZ Racing Ultraleggera wheels with a matte black finish. The dimensions are 8.5J x 20” with 255/35 R20 tires. The price including rubbers is €3,599. A bit pricey, but definitely looks good.

All parts will be ready to ship or installing from the specialist dealer at the end of January 2013.

Source: JMS

December 24, 2012

Gemballa Racing 2012 McLaren MP4-12C GT3 – Price €350,000

The high-performance Gemballa Racing 2012 McLaren MP4-12C GT3 is already available for sale. Actually, just two units can be bought from jameslist.com. The price is sensational – €350,000 as the car itself.

McLaren produced only 25 units for this year and only two of them are carefully tuned by Gemballa Racing. These versions come with 608HP (447 kW) twin-turbocharged 3.8 liter V8. 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of over 300 km/h (186 mph).

Some of the upgrades include a bespoke racing gearbox, carbon safety cell, race front splitter, large fixed rear wing, optimised air vents at the front and a racing diffuser at the rear. The steering wheel with integrated display is an ode to Formula 1.

The car has a crub weight of just 1,235 kg (2,722 lbs).

However, both cars can be modified to be completely street legal. It is interesting to go to groceries store with such type of car.

After all, a McLaren is always a good investment, so if you have spare €350,000 for a vehicle, this is your car.

Source: Gemballa

December 24, 2012

Oakley Design Lamborghini Aventador LP760-4 Dragon Edition

Oakley Design has announced their latest project based on the famous Aventador. The name of the project is Lamborghini Aventador LP760-4 Dragon Edition and besides the aggressive look, the car has additional 60HP and and 55Nm of torque.

Oakley Aventador LP760-4 Dragon Edition will be run in limited series of just ten units. For now, only one is built.

It comes with complete aerodynamics package including a modified front bumper, a large rear wing and some carbon fiber accents. The car rolls enormous HRE Wheels fitted with high-performance tires. It also has painted brake calipers with “Dragon Edition” badging.

The interior features individually-numbered plaques and embroidered dragons on the doors. Looks authentic, because the hiper-car itself is a kind of angry dragon. At least, it sounds like this.

This sound comes from a 6.5 liter V12 featuring a titanium sports exhaust system. The additional power comes also from an optimized ECU. Oakley Aventador LP760-4 Dragon Edition has 760HP (559 kW) and 745Nm (552 lb-ft) of torque.

Source: Oakley Design

December 24, 2012

Volkswagen Snowareg – The Best Winter Vehicle

What is the best winter vehicle? Subaru, Mitsubishi or Audi Quattro? You may think so, but none of them can be even close to the ultimate winter vehicle – Volkswagen Snowareg.The Snowareg is produced for Volkswagen Sweden in 2011. It is based on the latest version of the big SUV. It features tank-like tracks that work “perfect” on all surfaces. In other words, it is suitable not only for going in deep snow, but on mud, grass, ice or tarmac. Still, we doubt a little for the last one.The Snowareg has a mighty 4.2 liter V8 TDI with 340HP (250 kW) and 800Nm (590 lb-ft), which is just enough to pull almost everything out of deep snow-drift, except a real tank of course. 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and an average fuel consumption of just 9.1 liters per 100 km (25.8 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 239 g/km.So the Snowareg is not only the best vehicle for winter conditions, but it is very “green” and suitable for everyday driving. Luckily, only test drivers will do that and the company won’t put it into series production.

December 24, 2012

Atanas Vilner: Perfection To The Detail Is The Way To Success [INTERVIEW]

Since Christmas is just a step away, we have decided to make a present to our readers! We had a talk with Atanas Vilner – the person who stays behind the breath-taking tunings of Vilner! Here you can read what we have asked him and what he had to disclose.

automobilesreview.com: Your Company has achieved many accolades recently. Your tunings are exquisite and I must honestly say that they are one of the best ones I have personally seen. But, would you tell us when and how did everything start?

Atanas Vilner: It all started as a joke in 1996. I began working on a personal automobile and since at this moment there was no one who could make the interior as I wished it to be, I decided to do everything myself. After seeing what I have done, most of my friends wanted me to make some changes on their cars as well. Then the friends of my friends contacted me, and then – resellers, car dealers, car collectors, racers … I am explaining this phenomenon with my perfection to the detail: I simply can’t allow crooked stitching, crease or any other defect in the interior. My whole team also strives for perfection, and through time the people who stayed with me embraced fully the idea that the customer should always be pleased.

a: Where do you get inspiration from?

A.V.: The positive emotions that our clients give us are what inspire us the most for our future projects.

a: Which is your favorite project that you have worked on until now?

A.V.: Chevrolet Camaro 2010. In fact, I have many favorite projects, but this car was mine and in it I made everything I wanted to – starting from materials, design and ending with stile.

a: Is there any vehicle in the world which you dream of seeing in your garage so that it would be improved?

A.V.: Pagani Zonda and I know that this will happen.

a: And is there any vehicle that you don’t think it could be made better, or in other words that is perfect in its “stock” vision?

A.V.: We are like plastic surgeons – every beautiful woman can become even more beautiful. Our work is similar: in terms of cars, there is always something which can be made better.

a: If a client comes to your garage and asks you to do something absurd, how much are you keen on making the order as he or she wishes and what do you actually do in such cases? Is the client always right?

A.V.: Every absurd project goes through our creative prism and as a consequence it isn’t absurd anymore. In other words, when it is mixed with our professionalism, I can fearlessly affirm, that we can transform it into a piece of art. It is only a pity that there aren’t any galleries for such masterpieces.

a: And what do you think is your biggest achievement up to date?

A.V.: For us each and every project is a great achievement. And we never allow ourselves to judge any project as big or small, as expensive or inexpensive.

a: Rimac Concept One and how did you get there? Is it a fruit of your hard work or is it just a matter of luck?

A.V.: It is rather a combination of both, but I think that Mate Rimac should answer this question, because he is the one who chose us. I assume that we have won him with our braver combination of colors for the interior, in comparison to our colleagues from Italy. We also don’t underestimate the fact that we have personal attitude towards our every single project and client. For that reason Rimac trusted us for their second project and we are currently working on it.

a: We are eagerly looking forward to seeing it! And in this sense, what do you think of electric vehicles? Are they really the future of the automotive business?

A.V.: I personally would drive one.

a: We have recently seen that you have started modifying some exceptional bikes. Where do you find the biggest pleasure – in tuning a bike or a car?

A.V.: Certainly the automobiles are my greatest passion. I don’t even have a driving license for a motorbike. (he smiles)

a: Where do you picture yourself to be after ten years?

A.V.: I hope that I would see my interiors all around the world!

a: Is there anything else that you would like to share with the readers of automobilesreview.com?

A.V.: The people out there must know that everything we do is absolutely individual and in other words it is made according to the wishes of the particular client: to satisfy his individuality, taste and comprehension. This isn’t a serial production which has the only goal to appeal to every customer. The same counts for paintings, tattoos, music … This is the reason why after the name “Vilner” we have put “Your Style” …

a: Thank you for this interview and your time. I am sure that the readers of automobilesreview.com will be delighted to see it.

December 24, 2012

Exclusive: Vilner Reveals a Starry Sky Nissan GT-R

Just ahead of the winter holidays, the Bulgarian tuning company Vilner is making a big Christmas gift to the readers of automobilesreview.com by revealing exclusively and only for them their new and absolutely breath-taking work on Nissan GT-R.

Vilner Nissan GT-R is definitely a very unique project. And this is not only because of the exquisite work and craftsmanship of the professionals, but also because of the “starry sky” ceiling that it includes. Few other cars have the same feature, and as a matter of fact this is the fist car in the tuning history to include such one.

In general the materials used in the interior in this project are the finest leather and Alcantara in black and crimson colors. The seats are mainly in black but include red bands on their borders. Furthermore, another accent here that catches the eye is the red stitching which creates rhomboid forms.

The same motive is seen on the panel, steering wheel, doors and ceiling. And as soon as one looks up to the latter, they see a “starry sky”. This amazing effect was the initial client’s wish and was achieved with the mounting of LED’s.

Under substantial transformation underwent all of the plastic elements that could be found in this Nissan. Originally they were in different shades of gray, but after the modification they shine exquisitely thanks to the Black Piano Varnish applied on them.

If one is familiar with the work of Vilner, they must definitely know that the specialist from the tuning team pay a lot of attention to the details. Here they haven’t forgotten this philosophy and have even wrapped the rearview mirror in Alcantara. Next, the steering wheel was individually modified and now includes elements in Black Piano Varnish.

As it concerns the edges of the door panels and the center console, here one can see red bands which give the GT-R additional sport spirit and visual stance. According to client’s wish, there were also added an iPAD and a stand for it.

Source: Vilner

December 22, 2012

Volkswagen Golf Plus LIFE

Volkswagen Golf Plus LIFE is a five-door attractive special model of the Golf Plus line. It comes equipped with a comprehensive set of features and is thus perfectly tailored to customers’ wishes.

What grabs the attention here is the vehicle body height, flexibility and functionality. The level of comfort is further enhanced by the raised seat position, from which both driver and front-seat passenger benefit.

In addition, the rear bench seat can be asymmetrically split and folded and slid lengthways by up to 16 centimetres. On the other hand, the front-seat passenger’s seatback can be folded right down, and therefore the interior cargo space and can be extended to 2.3 metres in length.

Some of the special features included as an equipment here are the Climatronic automatic climate control, a winter pack (including heated front seats and windscreen washer jets), the RCD 310 radio, ParkPilot, the Light and Sight pack and the multifunction Plus display.

In addition, other standard features include high-comfort seats in the ‘Matrixline’ seat fabric and a central armrest. There is also added a multi-function leather steering wheel. When it is combined with the leather gearlever knob and handbrake handle, it gives the interior a high-class ambience.

Furthermore, in terms of exterior the Volkswagen comes as a standard with 16-inch ‘Spokane’ alloy wheels and the wording ‘LIFE’ on the wings. Chrome rims on the air inlet grilles, an LED registration plate light, fog lights and tinted rear and side windows are also something worth the attention.

More importantly, the Golf Plus LIFE is being offered with seven petrol and six diesel engines. The petrol engines deliver between 59 kW (80 hp) and 90 kW (122 hp). On the other hand, the diesels cover a performance range from 77 kW (105 hp) to 103 kW (140 hp).

The engines can be mated to either a six or seven-speed DSG transmission. As an add-on there is also the LIFE Plus pack which improves the specification with extra features. In particular it features an electric slide-and-tilt panoramic glass sunroof and the choice of either ‘Orlando’ or ‘Seattle’ 17-inch alloy wheels.

In terms of comfort and safety, the Plus LIFE model includes six airbags and ESC (Electronic Stability Control), a range of driver assistance systems such as the XDS electronic differential lock, the ‘Park Assist’ parking assistant and the ‘Rear Assist’ reversing camera.

Volkswagen Golf Plus LIFE has a starting price of €21 200.

Source: Volkswagen

December 21, 2012

Lexus IS F Race Car Generates 600 Horsepower

Lexus IS F Race Car is a purpose-built vehicle which will share the limelight with some of the world’s leading tennis players at the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament next month, where it will be unveiled for the first time. It is a highly modified touring car, which is based on IS F performance sedan.

This Lexus will be powered by the same TRD-developed 4.7-litre V8 engine that is found in several Daytona prototype race cars. The unit generates up to 600 hp (441 kW). Furthermore, in order to be a true race car, it was equipped with Motec engine management systems, ZF Sachs dampers, H&R springs, AP racing clutches and AP airjacks.

However, the vehicle won’t be used as a racing car, but as a customer experience vehicle and will be on display on promotional events.

Technical Specifications:

• Vehicle: 2012 – Wide body, caged monocoque Lexus IS, weighing 1290kg

• Engine: TRD 4.7L V8 developing approximately 600hp

• Transmission: Six-speed Hewland, rear mounted transmission

• Wheels: BBS 11×18″ centre lock front, 12.5×18″ centre-lock rear

• Tyres: 295×30″ 18″ Front, 335×30″ 18″ rear

Source: Lexus

December 21, 2012

2013 BMW Z4 sDrive18i Unveiled

2013 BMW Z4 sDrive18i is the latest version of the popular Z4 roadster which is set to go officially on sale in March next year. The new model comes with a new entry-level sDrive18i, while at the same time the Pure Traction Design package enhanced the level of sophistication and high specification never seen before on Z4.

The engine is a de-tuned version of an existing 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged one. It generates 156 hp (115 kW) at 5,000rpm from its 1,997cc powerplant. This means that the vehicle effortlessly accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h in only 7.9 seconds before going on to a top speed of 137mph. It manages to do this while still recording 41.5mpg and emissions of just 159g/km.

The other engines included in the model range are the sDrive20i, which comes with a 184 hp (135 kW) that achieves 41.5mpg and 159g/km CO2, and the four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged sDrive28i, and the six-cylinder twin-turbocharged sDrive35i and the sDrive35is which produce respectively 245 hp (180 kW), 306 hp (225 kW) and 340 hp (250 kW). All variants are rated at an electronically-limited 155mph top speed.

The power is transmitted through a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. Customers can also specify an eight-speed automatic with gear shift paddles located on the steering wheel, while buyers of the BMW Z4 sDrive35is have a seven-speed Double Clutch Transmission, again with gear shift paddles, as standard.

All versions come as a standard EfficientDynamics programme, which enhances engine’s performance, economy and cuts emissions. The programme includes Brake Energy Regeneration, Electric Power Steering with Servotronic, Reduced Rolling Resistance Tyres, on-demand control of the engine’s ancillaries and Optimum Shift Indicator on manual transmission cars.

In terms of exterior design, the Z4 has minor enhancements. For instance, the headlights now include white LED corona rings and a white ‘eyebrow’ with additional chrome detailing, while in profile the side gill features chrome detailing and LED side repeater lights.

However, BMW introduces here the Pure Traction Design package, where the car is in Valencia Orange with an optional black contrast roof. The model also comes with Sport seats in Alcantara and leather with contrast stitching, Anthracite headlining and a unique metal weave interior trim.

Standard equipment across all models now includes DAB radio, Xenon headlights, Bluetooth, USB connectivity and Sport multi-function steering wheel. Three new colours of Mineral Grey, Glacier Silver and Valencia Orange are offered while two new styles of alloy wheel, 17-inch and an 18-inch V-spoke styling wheel are available as an option.

Another important feature here is the standard Drive Performance Control function that is another first and this allows the driver to alter, depending on model specification, the throttle and steering response, level of ride comfort, Dynamic Stability Control response and, on automatic or Double Clutch Transmission cars, gear change times.

Model	Price from	Power Hp	Torque Nm	Zero – 62mph Seconds	Top Speed Mph	Combined Mpg	CO2Emissions g/km
BMW Z4sDrive18i	£27,610	156	240	7.9 (8.1)	137	41.5	159
BMW Z4 sDrive20i	£29,710	184	270	6.9	146 (144)	41.5	159
BMW Z4 sDrive28i	£34,095	245	350	5.7 (5.5)	155	41.5	159
BMW Z4 sDrive35i	£39,915	306	400	5.2 (5.1)	155	30.1 (31.4)	219 (210)
BMW Z4 sDrive35is	£45,795	340	450	(4.8)	155	31.4	210

Source: BMW

December 21, 2012

Crown Jewel for Mercedes-Benz CL, CLS and SL from PP Exclusive

PP Exclusive created a massive and bulky design of the crown jewel alloy wheel rims for the Mercedes-Benz model series. The refitted CL of the construction series C216 with a 21-inch diameter rim now revolves in the wheel houses of the grand coupé and it does this for the first time.

Furthermore, the rim is an absolute custom-made product. The wheel was built on the front axle in 10.5 x 21 inches with a 4-inch outer rim and comes in combination with Michelin tires of the format 265/30R21. The crown jewel alloy wheel rims revolve in the rear axle in 12 x 21 inches with a 5-inch outer rim and tires of the format 305/25R21.

PP Exclusive offers lowering of the CL. This was done with the utilization of the lowering module that was so effortlessly installed through the plug-and-play method. Moreover, the lowering can be individually adjusted through the steering wheel buttons.

The same crown jewel wheel is also available for CLS C218. This time for the front is used 10.0 x 20 inches with a 3.5-inch rim and 12.0 x 20 inches with a 5.5-inch rim in the rear. PP Exclusive opted for the tires Hankook-Pneus in the formats 255/30R20 and 305/25R20.

In addition, the vehicle is also lowered to the ground with the help of the same lowering module. The SL of the construction series R230 is also fitted with the crown jewel rims and Hankook tires of the same dimensions.

Source: PP Exclusive

December 21, 2012

Category: Auto News