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2013 Hyundai i30 Tourer Production Begins

2013 Hyundai i30 Tourer is going to join the i30 family as its production has already started. This Hyundai model will keep the characteristics which have made its hatchback sibling a great deal of success.

Not only will bring the Tourer the great quality, value, stylish design, efficiency and driving enjoyment, but also it will add greater load-carrying capability to the i30’s package.

The launch of the Tourer is the next phase of the New Generation i30’s introduction. The aim of Hyundai is to bring about more choice for their consumers. In addition the importance of quality and in terms of design, engineering and manufacturing will be retained.

The Tourer will come with a load capacity of 528-litres with the rear seats raised and 1,642-litres when the seats are folded. This means that the new i30 Tourer will add further practicality to the everyday life of its customers.

The design of the car was of course inspired by the new design philosophy of the company, and is in total coherence with Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture form language.

In addition it is important to highlight that the i30 has already achieved five-star rating from Euro NCAP in the organisation’s test programme. Here are included 90% score in the ‘child occupant’ assessment, with maximum points in the ‘18-month-old’ and ‘3-year-old’ tests.

Pricing and specification will be revealed shortly before launch.

Source: Hyundai

June 15, 2012

Fostla Wrappings Audi RS6R MTM

An Audi RS6 Avant that has been touched by the skillful hand of MTM and then wrapped around with foil (increasingly popular these days) by Fostla.

By boosting the power up to 759 hp and 912 Nm of torque, MTM have created a significant distance from the “standard” RS6 which has “only” 571 hp and 650 Nm of torque coming from it’s 5.0-liter V10 FSI Turbo (Gallardoesque) engine. That’s why this one is actually called the Audi RS6…R. Anyway. Other non-stock features include the valve controlled exhaust system, the sports catalysts, RS5 9×20 ET29 rims equipped with 275/35R20 tires and a body kit comprising of a front lip spoiler and a rear diffuser. The end product is good for a top speed of 348 km/h – enough to peel the paint off.

But, what is actually on the surface of the body is foil. An anodized matt blue metallic PWF… something to be more exact. It’s been made by Fostla Wrappings and costs 2,500 Euros ($3,149). I know, but you also get tinting of the head and tail-lights. Still not buying it? Me neither.

Source: Fostla Wrapping

June 14, 2012

2013 Hyundai Equus

Hyundai‘s flagship, executive battle cruiser is born again for the year 2013. Hyundai Equus – the biggest, most powerful, safest and most equipped car, the company has ever made. There will be two trim levels (Signature and Ultimate) but no matter how you look at it, both of them are bundled with mind-boggling technology and it’s hard to tell them apart.

Both will unconditionally get the bulky 5.0-liter Tau DOHC V8 that sends 429 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque through a Hyundai-developed 8-speed automatic gearbox. That power then is transferred to the rear wheels which is a big thing for Hyundai. Because of the Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing and the high-pressure direct injection system, the economy is good…ish as well – 15 mph city, 23 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined.

Weight distribution is said to be 52:48 and thanks to a Continuous (lots of continuity with the Equus) Damping Control unit, and road surface can be tackled with the exact level of stiffness and rigidity. Then there’s the Vehicle Stability Management which controls a full bag of features (the ESC, the electronic parking brake and the smart cruise control) thus keeping you out of the ditch. Don’t think however, that the Hyundai Equus engineers went easy on the occupant safety tech. Not even slightly. You get dual airbags at the front, side airbags for both the front and the back as well as curtain ones on the length of the roof and a driver’s knee airbag. The seat belts strap on tightly when the Equus senses an imminent collision while the headrests ensure your head is where it should be – on your shoulders. A camera on the front grille (Ultimate) monitors for objects when parking and sends the data to an LCD monitor inside. The bootlid camera at the back comes as standard.

As for luxuries, the Signature lists more than 40 features. Among them, there’s a 608-watt Lexicon 7.1 Discrete surround-sound audio system with 17 speakers, a massaging driver seat, a lane departure system, a set of 19-inch chromed alloy wheels and a Navigation system with DIS and multimedia controller.

The Ultimate actually looses an occupant space at the back but the remaining two get individual reclining and massaging seats, tinted rear windows an entertainment system for the back and….a refrigerator. This one is obviously for the more bossy type of people. The ones that plan to spend a great portion of their time being driven around rather than driving themselves. But then again, the concept behind the Equus is just that – being executive…at an affordable price (which is still undisclosed).

Source: Hyundai

June 14, 2012

2013 Chevrolet Camaro in Europe [VIDEO]

2013 Chevrolet Camaro will finally delight its fans in Europe, however better and mightier than ever. After a decade long absence, the new Chevrolet model will deliver its customers the outstanding 432 horsepower from its V8 engine.

In addition the Chevy comes with a contemporary 21st-century design, which includes a V-shaped nose, wide, planted stance, and broad rear shoulders, and all distinguishing features of a true Camaro.

The car comes equipped with a manual transmission which is mated to a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine that produces 432 hp (318 kW) at 569Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque at 4,600rpm. The acceleration time for the 0-62mph (0-100 km/h) sprint is 5.2 seconds for the coupé and 5.4 seconds for the convertible.

The car will be offered with an automatic transmission as well, which is mated to a L99 6.2-litre V8 engine that produces 405 hp (298 kW) at 556Nm (410 lb-ft) at 4,300rpm. The acceleration time for the 0-62mph (0-100 km/h) sprint here is 5.4 seconds for the coupé and 5.6 seconds for the convertible. The Camaro has an impressive top speed of 155mph.

The European version of the Camaro is similar in content to the 2SS model offered in the U.S. The new model includes all-new FE4 suspension. The set-up is distinguished by optimized stiffness and lateral stability for high-speed performance and maneuverability. The FE4 suspension package comprises of retuned front and rear dampers, plus new solid front (23mm) and rear (24mm) stabiliser bars.

This amazing muscle car runs on 20 inch wheels wearing Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Brembo four-piston anti-lock disc brakes combine with StabiliTrak and traction control to ensure effective braking and quick cornering.

The exterior design of the car of course is typical for Camaro. It includes the V-shaped nose which is flanked by high-intensity discharge headlamps with glowing LED xenon halo rings. Chevrolet’s ‘gold bow tie’ logo adorns the grille.

The rear of the exterior is unique: twin LED tail-lamp elements mirror the unique look of the front end, and design is finished off with large, round chrome exhaust tips similar to those on the Corvette Z06.

How about the interior of the Camaro? The vehicle’s interior conveys simplicity and refinement. However it incorporates contemporary details in the dials, switches and ambient lighting. The integrated centre console includes stereo and climate controls into a single piece of modern electronics. The cluster of four gauges – oil pressure and temp, transmission fluid temp and battery voltage – includes contemporary LED backlighting.The seats have sport design and sculpted shoulders. Accents of stitching can be seen as well.

Some of the technologies and safety features included in this version of Chevrolet are: Driver Information Centre, Head-Up Display (HUD), rear parking assist with camera, six airbags, ISOFIX anchor points, Boston Acoustics nine-speaker stereo system

Prices for the coupé start at £35 025 while for the convertible – at £40 025.

httpv://youtu.be/xBng-QVoe78

Source: Chevrolet

June 14, 2012

Smart Fortwo Iceshine Edition in Coupe and Cabrio

Smart Fortwo Iceshine Edition is the latest special model created by Smart, which blends fresh, cheeky look and in addition comes along with chic equipment details. This special model can be preordered in white or in the eye-catching azure blue from June. The first vehicles in this limited series will be in dealerships in October.

First, it is important to highlight that the Iceshine edition is going to be offered as a coupe and as a cabrio. It will come equipped with a 52 kW (71 hp) mhd petrol engine or a 62 kW (84 hp) petrol engine.

This two-seater customization has an unusual appearance. First, the tridion safety cell comes in white. The bodypanels are available in white, or an azure blue. The latter color was developed for this edition.

Other exclusives design cues include the white alloy wheels, with their new 3-double-spoke design and wide tyres in size 175/55 R 15 (front) and 195/50 R 15 (rear). These tie in nicely with the white tridion safety cell and door mirror caps. The LED daytime driving lights and special logo on the mirror triangle also add to the unique outlook of the Smart.

The interior of all Iceshine models includes leather-effect seats with a white fabric insert on the backrest and white stitching, 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles and white stitching. The rings round the dashboard instruments and some contrast components are also painted in white.

Some of the other standard features are: softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control, panoramic roof with sunblind, electric power steering, heated seats, a lockable glove compartment, the smart sound system with five loudspeakers.

Part of the optional feature include: smart audio system navigation/multimedia, black leather-effect instrument panel, BRABUS 3-spoke sports steering wheel with steering wheel gearshift and smart cradle for the iPhone® 3/3GS and 4/4S are available for the edition iceshine.

This Iceshine edition of Smart will be limited to 1,800 vehicles. This model is based on the passion equipment line.

Smart Fortwo Iceshie Edition pricing:

Engine/power	Engine type	Engine capacity	Price (€):
smart fortwo edition iceshine coupé
1.0 l (52 kW/71 hp) petrol mhd	3-cyl. in-line naturally aspirated engine	999 cc	14,490.00
1.0 l (62 kW/84 hp) petrol	3-cyl. in-line turbo engine	999 cc	15,060.00

smart fortwo edition iceshine cabrio
1.0 l (52 kW/71 hp) petrol mhd	3-cyl. in-line naturally aspirated engine	999 cc	17,580.00
1.0 l (62 kW/84 hp) petrol	3-cyl. in-line turbo engine	999 cc	18,150.00

Source: Smart

June 14, 2012

2013 Nissan Juke Nismo debuts at Le Mans

2013 Nissan Juke Nismo production model is going to make its world debuting appearance on the Nissan’s stand at the Le Mans 24. This particular vehicle is the first in a series of new Nismo models, which were all inspired company’s Japanese motorsport heritage and performance excellence.

Next to Juke Nismo, Nissan will show their DeltaWing and Juke-R models as well. 2013 Juke Nismo has been already revealed under the form of a concept at Tokyo and Geneva international Motor Shows.

Nissan’s Nismo product range offers uniqueness, distinctiveness and individuality. But this it not all, it will please you with sports handling, performance and excitement. The Juke Nismo combines the current Nissan Juke design with sports coupé lines and SUV stylin.

In fact, it includes new aerodynamics kit, making the car even more efficient, dynamic and powerful. The new model is equipped with lower front and rear bumpers, wider wings and sill side skirts, and a modified grille and tailgate spoiler. Furthermore, the car sits on new stylish 18-inch alloy wheels with wider tyres.

More importantly the Juke Nismo is empowered by a tuned-up version of its 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine. It features stiffened suspension settings, new steering modifications for sportier direct handling and enhanced traction control.

The interior of the model is totally redesigned in terms of steering wheel, pedals, gauges, gear knob and door trims. They now further emphasize the SUV’s sportier personality. For instance, special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching were included.

The Juke Nismo sales in Europe are due to start early January 2013. The model will be also available in Japan and USA at a later date. More details and specifications will be revelaed closer to launch.

Source: Nissan

June 14, 2012

2012 MINI Rocketman Concept at the Olympics

2012 MINI Rocketman Concept is especially prepared by the British premium car brand MINI for the Olympics and Paralympics that will take place in few months in London. The new edition has already appeared as a concept and debuted at the International Geneva Motor Show last year.

The new design of the MINI Rocketman Concept is absolutely stunning! It combines fresh ideas for personal mobility in big cities while at the same time keeping the classical, unmistakably British design features.

And if you are going to visit London during the Olympics, this extraordinary vehicle will be on show in the BMW Pavilion located close to the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

The 3+1-seater has three doors and an exterior length of just over three meters. It has irresistible design, clever functionality, great agility and exceptional efficiency. The advanced technology included in the vehicle underpins a lifestyle-focused mobility solution. In other words the MINI is equipped for life in big cities.

Further detail is that MINI Rocketman Concept’s spaceframe is made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic. This enables the lightweight construction of the car. If you go throughout the pictures of the car, you will see its innovative interior concept, which can accommodate three full-size seats.

The exterior and interior color schemes of the Rocketman are influenced mainly by its British heritage. All that has been used in the creation are high-quality materials thanks to which the stylish details can be additionally emphasized. All in all, it embodies a typically British form of sporting elegance.

The MINI runs on 18-inch light-alloy wheels, which have white polished areas and a metallic red accent. Matt Porcelain White paintwork is also utilized for the mirror caps, boot opener and surrounds for the radiator grille and headlights.

The grille structure is made up entirely of MINI logos. It has a red metallic paint finish and contrasting white surround. A red strip emphasises the path of the hallmark MINI diagonal link between the wheel arch and door at the foot of the A-pillar.

Another unique and special feature is the distinctive lighting design for the roof, which is full-surface glass roof. It has illuminated braces which recreate the look of Britain’s Union Jack flag. Even when the roof is not illuminated, the braces keep on shining in bright Porcelain White. In darkness, the integrated optical fibres provide a pleasant indirect illumination of the interior and a compelling night design visible from the outside. The roof’s transparent surfaces are bordered by a metallic red painted strip.

The interior is influenced by the Union Jack-led colour concept as well. Sporting ambience and intricate details are the characteristics of the coupe of the car. The inner door panels and rear side sections are trimmed in dark blue nubuck leather, while the elliptical door rings are in white leather.

The most distinctive element of the dashboard is the cockpit surface. The latter is bordered by a red bar and has a striking 3D effect. Its relief structure shows the name of every Summer Olympic Games host city.

MINI Rocketman Concept catches the imagination thanks to its innovative technology and irresistible combination of driving fun and sustainability.

Source: MINI

June 14, 2012

An Audi A6 by JMS

A yet another Audi with non-existent wheel housings. This one though is more subtle. It gets even more subtler when you look at the list of upgrades but hey, we rarely get news from JMS so we’ll cherish what we have.

The program is intended for the A6 – the old one – Typ 4F (it’s not even facelifted). There’s a JMS apron for it available and a front lip spoiler (fits on all 4Fs excluding the S-line). The main feature here however, is the KW stainless steel coilover kit version 1 – responsible for the lowering which can be up to 60 mm on the front axle and 50 mm at the back. Or maybe the most noticeable features here are the wheels? Oxigen 9,5×20 front and back – very flare-y

And there you have it – a JMS Audi A6. What do you think?

Source: JMS

June 14, 2012

Ready for Le Mans 2012: Team Chevrolet

The 24 Hours Le Mans is a testing, excruciating, nerve wrecking and even deadly endurance race. It is literally a 24 hour race and at the least two drivers need need to participate in each team. At the finish line, one might think there’s a big sigh of relief for all participants. It is however, more or less a 15 minutes if glory type of thing.

Here’s the story behind the scenes from the Chevrolet Team point of view. As soon as one race ends, it’s back to the drawing board again – what went wrong, how can they do that better, should they be like this next year? And that’s not even half the story. One would not imagine that the logistics of a car (or several of them) can be so complex. Mind you we are talking about a Le Mans car which has an entourage that can barely fit in a warehouse.

Check out these mini series and more around the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans event that’s coming to you this weekend.

httpv://youtu.be/WgmuknJuwgk

Source: prattmiller via YouTube

June 13, 2012

Ferrari 458 Spider, California 30, FF at Goodwood

Good(wood) news: Ferrari are bringing the 458 Spider, the California 30 and the four-seater Ferrari FF to the event.
For the 456 Spider, this will be a UK debut. It’s particularity appealing because of it’s aluminum retractable roof which is actually 25 kg lighter than the traditional folding soft-top. That’s useful if you don’t want to thwart too much the mid-mounted 4.5 V8 engine and make use of all the 570 hp that it produces. Recently it was again nominated for the International Engine of the Year award which makes sense as no one in their right mind would mount something less then perfect to an F1 style, dual-clutch, state-of-the-art transmission. Put those two entities together and you get a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph.

The other player who visits the Island for the first time is the Ferrari California 30 – it’s called that way because of the 30 kg loss in weight. Apparently, with the help of alchemy we suspect, the Ferrari engineers have managed to turn those kilograms into extra hp. So now we are talking about a V8 that rolls out 490 rampaging Italian stallions. An optional package for the California is also a thing now – less body roll and more responsiveness through some in-house tweaking of the suspension.

The Ferrari FF grand tourer will also make an appearance. It represents the company’s uncharted territories – four-seats, four-wheel-drive, grand touring tech, the lot.

The front-mid engine in it is the flagship Ferrari unit right now with over 660 hp at 8,000 rpm, 12 cylinders and a displacement of 6,262cc. That renders the FF capable of a 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.7 seconds. And thanks to the abnormally light 4RM (AWD) system and the 47:53 weight distribution, the FF is quick to response to driver input, stable and incredibly fun to drive.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is held annually at West Sussex, England. The event for this year is scheduled for the last weekend of June.

Source: Ferrari

June 13, 2012

The GTA Spano at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

The GTA Spano – GTA Motor‘s (and Spain’s) only supercar – will take part in this month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed held on the grounds of the Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.

More specifically, the “Supercar run” challenge will provide the opportunity for the Spano to go head to head with 49 more supercars of world-class. Driving the glass-roofed car will be the Valencian drive Borja Garcia.

GTA Motor plan to produce only 99 cars in total which makes the Spano, technically, a very rare and exclusive specimen. The power plant for it is an in-house V10 mid-mounted engine that churns out 820 hp and 960Nm of torque. The body and the chassis bits represent a complex mingle of carbon fiber, titanium and Kevlar. As a result of that it’s weight is no more than 1350 kg and the 0 to 60 mph time is just below 3 seconds and the top speed stands at 350 km/h.

So if you’d like to catch a glimpse of this gem, the Goodwood Festival of Speed speed is the place for you. It starts at the end oh June, properly coordinated with the weekends.

Source: GTA Motor

June 13, 2012

Nissan Skyline: Taking the Plunge [VIDEO]

The breath-taking Nissan Skyline is the latest addition to the Depth of Speed inspiring episodes. Depth of Speed was created with the aim to bring the greatest stories from the automotive world to the genera public.

In other words, everything resolves around the passion, depth, and love that the automotive world brings. This video portrays the enthusiasm and adoration which this remarkable version of Nissan Skyline has created in its owner.

Nissan Skyline

The owner – Eric Bauer, had made this Nissan unique, and more importantly in the video below you will understand what inspired him to do so. He not only provides 3D modeling services to many automakers across the world, but also teaches at the Art Center College of Design.

He is definitely encouraging many students to take up a future in auto design and bring to fruition their passion, as he did. Furthermore Bauer is discussing the inimitable and eye-catching automobile and what makes it unlike any other.

Watch and hear how Eric speaks about the twelve year story in the making of this car.

httpv://vimeo.com/43905308

June 13, 2012

Category: Auto News