Auto News – Page 899 – Automobiles Review

2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition

MNAO (Mazda North American Operations) will introduce the 2012 MX-5 Miata Special Edition at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

The roadster will feature a black-only Power Retractable Hard Top as well as other exclusivities such as two new exterior colors, new 17” black gunmetal alloy wheels, black exterior accents, black heated leather seats and piano black interior finishes.

Available with either the 6-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter or 6-speed Sport automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, the Special Edition model is based off the Grand Touring model.

Both Premium and Suspension packages will be standard on the MX-5 Special Edition and include features such as a Bluetooth® hands-free phone system, SIRIUS® Satellite Radio, Bilstein shocks and a sport-tuned suspension.

Source: Mazda

February 3, 2012

2012 F1 Season – Ferrari F2012

After McLaren and their MP4-27 F1 car, Ferrari have also unveiled theirs called F2012 – very “original”.

As always at Ferrari, a great deal of time has been devoted to the performance and optimisation of the materials used, right from the design stage of each of around six thousand components that make up the car. In part, this is done to ensure that all operations carried out at the race track are as efficient and effective as possible. Obviously, quality control remains a crucial aspect, as does the goal of reaching maximum levels of performance and reliability, while maintaining the highest possible safety standards.

With a reduction in the number of days available for track testing before the start of the Championship, which has dropped from fifteen to twelve, preparatory work on the test beds prior to the car’s track debut, has taken on even more importance. The three test sessions – at Jerez de la Frontera and Barcelona – will serve to get a picture of the handling of the F2012 and to adapt it to the Pirelli tyres. Indeed, getting the most out of the tyres has been an area that has seen a lot of work both at the design stage and in how the activities at the track are to be managed. The car is due to undergo a very intensive development programme over the first part of the season, especially on the aerodynamic front.

Check out the specs below!

Technical Specs

Chassis

Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Gearbox: Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
Differential: Limited-slip differential
Command: Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox â€“ quick shift
Number of gears: 7 +Reverse
Brakes: Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
Suspension: Independent suspension, pull-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
Weight with water, lubricant and driver: 640 kg
OZ Wheels (front and rear): 13″

Engine

Type: 056
Number of cylinders: 8
Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium: V 90°
Number of valves: 32
Pneumatic distribution
Total displacement: 2398 cm3
Piston bore: 98 mm
Weight: >95 kg
Electronic injection and ignition
Fuel: Shell V-Power
Lubricant: Shell Helix Ultra

Source: Ferrari

February 3, 2012

2012 MINI Highgate Special Edition Convertible Price – £20 665

2012 MINI Highgate is special edition convertible which is the third of the trio from special editions, standing next to MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater. It also continues the brand policy of taking the names of fashionable areas of London. The Highgate model is a sophisticated new version of the drop-top Convertible. Furthermore, this special edition MINI offers unique exterior and interior style, and even brings more fun and excitement. The car is finished in a metallic ‘Iced Chocolate’ body color. The fabric roof is in ‘Silvertouched Truffle’. The appearance is improved by truffle bonnet stripes with blue edging. Midnight Black metallic or White Silver metallic paintwork can be specified as an option.

Next, the MINI Highgate sits on 17-inch ‘Double Cross Turned’ light-alloy wheels in a subtle aluminium color. The interior of the MINI is equipped with ‘Dark Truffle’ Lounge Leather seats with blue piping and contrasting stitching. In addition there s also included the famous Chili Pack, which is also filled with extras such as automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, multi-function steering wheel, multi-colored interior lights. More importantly it comes as a standard on the Highgate special edition. You can also see sun-touched Brushed Alloy detailing on the dashboard. The Chrome Line Interior and Exterior packages are also included. Of course, customers can add to the appeal of the MINI, according to their taste by further using the extensive options list of comfort, convenience, design and technology features.

The MINI Highgate is available with four engine options: the MINI Cooper (90 kW/122 hp), MINI Cooper S (135 kW/184 hp), MINI Cooper D (82 kW/112 hp) and MINI Cooper SD (105 kW/143 hp). All are linked to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with a six-speed automatic available as an option. The price of the 2012 MINI Cooper Highgate Convertible starts at £20 665.

Source: MINI

February 3, 2012

2012 SsangYong Korando LE – Price £17 995

SsangYong is launching a limited edition of its recently introduced Korando crossover and it is named 2012 SsangYong Korando LE. What is new here is that it sits on special 18 inch alloy wheels. In addition it has a rear spoiler and privacy glass; it also includes many luxury touches in the interior, for example: heated front seats, leather covered steering wheel and gear shift. There is also cruise control and rear parking sensors which will bring even more safety and convenience to the customers. This version of the vehicle was styled by Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design. More importantly, it has a price which starts from just £17 995.

Furthermore the Korando LE is available in three distinctive colours: Grand White (which comes as a standard), metallic Vitamin Red or Space Black. The crossover is powered by an advanced 173bhp (127 kW) 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo diesel engine, which produces the incredible 360Nm (266 lb.-ft.) of torque. The CO2 emissions here go 157g/km. The customer can chose between a six speed manual or six speed automatic transmission. In addition, buyers can opt for S or ES trim in their front wheel drive Korando or top of the range EX specification in four wheel drive models. What you’ll love about this vehicle is that it comes entirely equipped with cruise control, ESP with Hill Start Assist and reverse parking sensors as standard. On the other hand the ES comes with a sunroof, climate control, leather upholstery and heated front and rear seats, so that all the needs of the driver and the passenger can be met.

Source: SsangYong

February 3, 2012

2012 Kia Track’ster Concept

Thumb Kia has just unveiled their new concept. As you can see it is powerful, dynamic and very stylish. Moreover it shows distinctive design which shows the direction that the South Korean manufacturer is taking. The concept bears the name Track’ster and is intended to be the ultimate sporting representation of Kia’s Soul B– segment SUV. The extremely successful and innovative crossover “Soul” gave even more ideas for concepts, such as Soul’ster for example. This is a convertible concept, which now is at preparation stage for production. The “Soul” model made a big breakthrough in the 2011 in the United Stades, where over 102,000 units were sold. In addition, now Kia is launching this brand new Track’ster concept, which also has the relationship with the “Soul”s rebellious, individual and urban style.

Source: KIA

February 3, 2012

2013 Subaru BRZ goes to Japan

Subaru has just announced today that they are going to release the new 2013 Subaru BRZ in the dealerships across Japan. The start date is 28^th of March.

Subaru BRZ is a sports car that undeniably provides driving pleasure. Its front-engine and rear-wheel drive layout are powered by the Horizontally-Opposed Boxer engine. The aim here stands under the slogan “Pure Handling Delight – the driving experience taken to a new level”. The ultra-low center of gravity packaging is delivered by mounting the Boxer engine as low as possible. By mounting the Subaru Boxer engine as low as possible within the chassis and closer to its center, the boxer’s inherent benefits of low center of gravity, light weight, and compact size are optimized. This also ensures good traction of four wheels, excellent maneuverability, stability, ride quality and balance. Furthermore the engine is newly developed and generates 100 ps per liter with exhilarating revving nature. It has also improved environmental friendliness and more fuel efficiency. BRZs stability control is featured too on all models.

Interesting fact is that BRZ here stands for “Boxer engine”, “Rear-wheel drive” and “Zenith” and it emphasizes ultimately brands passion for high speed cars. Moreover Subaru is committed to always providing excellence in the creation of their products, of course – all in alliance with customer’s preferences. Indeed, Subaru BRZ is embodying Subaru’s brand direction. In particular, Subaru BRZ was developed as a joint-project between Subaru and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Source: Subaru

February 3, 2012

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 SUV with a Ferrari Look

Custom-built versions of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 in exclusive Rosso Corsa coloured exteriors, red leather interiors and additional Ferrari looks. This all has been done in order to pay tribute to the two Ferrari ‘ambassadors’. Today those two specially prepared models were delivered to Scuderia Ferrari Formula One drivers – Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, which were the inspiration for the SUV’s production.

Each Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 features an aggressive exterior look with astonishing design – all inspired by classic Ferrari brand styling. As you can see the iconic, seven-slot Jeep front grille is painted matte black and features custom red inserts. The front and rear bumpers, the hood and the entire roof and rear spoiler were customized with offset black driver’s stripe with white accent. In addition, there were featured unique details including matte black painted dual-pane sunroof, carbon fiber mirror caps and a gloss black rear light bar with red accents on the Jeep logo. The extraordinary design is eventually finished by the Italian flag which was painted on the underside of the rear spoiler. Of course, the ride height has been lowered 1.5 inches. Furthermore the vehicles ride on unique forged aluminium, 20-inch wheels painted black.

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 SUV with Ferrari Look

And what about the interior – it was enhanced by exclusive Ferrari Red leather inserts on the seats with sculpted bolsters. Additionally, the door trim panels, the central armrest and the instrument panel were tuned with exclusive red leather. The steering wheel was also leather-wrapped with mounted paddle shifters featuring red contrasting stitching. The astonishing instrument cluster includes yellow dials, thus making the cabin more stylish.

The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is powered by the all-new 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 engine with Fuel Saver technology that turns off four of the eight cylinders when full power is not required to ensure increased fuel economy. Due to the HEMI V-8 powertrain there are delivered 468 horsepower (344 kW) and 624 Nm (474 lb.-ft.) of torque. Hence, you can expect a great performance of 0-100 km/h which here is only 5 seconds. The top speed is 257 km/h and brakes from 100-0 km/h in 35 m. These two uniquely customized and modified 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 models are based on the new high-performance model of the Jeep flagship SUV set to arrive in Europe’s dealerships in May this year.

Source: Jeep

February 3, 2012

2012 Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDIe – Price £27 320

Audi has announced two new TDIe engines, where the “e” means efficiency. The manufacturer will hit the market with A5 Coupe and A5 Sportback powered by 2.0 liter TDIe engine with two outputs – 136PS (100 kW) and 163PS (120 kW). The price is very competitive, too – £27 320 OTR for 2012 Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDIe with 136PS.

The performance is not too bad and the car is perfect for everyday drive – 0 to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 212 km/h (132 mph). The impressive is the fuel consumption – 64.2 mpg according to the official combined cycle test and emission of 117 g/km CO2.

The 163PS is slightly faster to 100 km/h – 8.7 seconds with better top speed 220 km/h (137 mph) and a little more thirsty – 62.8 mpg with 118 g/km CO2.

Last, in the Coupe variant, the 163PS engine accelerates to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph) with fuel economy of 64.2 mpg with 115 g/km CO2.

All cars have 6-speed manual gearbox.

In both Sportback and Coupe models all the four-cylinder TDI engines can be combined with a new, highly cost effective SE Technik specification. For just £1 000 on top of the SE model for Sportback and £500 for Coupe, it adds DVD SAT NAV, Audi Music Interface (AMI) iPod connection, the Audi Parking Plus system with front and rear sensors and cruise control.

A5 Sportback 2.0 TDIe 136PS

Standard                           £27,320 OTR
SE                                       £29,090 OTR
SE Technik                       £30,090 OTR
S line                                  £31,390 OTR

A5 Sportback 2.0 TDIe 163PS

Standard                           £27,825 OTR
SE                                       £29,595 OTR
SE Technik                       £30,595 OTR
S line                                  £31,895 OTR

A5 Coupe 2.0 TDIe 163PS

Standard                           £28,775 OTR
SE                                       £30,545 OTR
SE Technik                       £31,045 OTR

Source: Audi

February 2, 2012

Audi GT R8 Spyder Price – $210,000

The Audi R8 GT Spyder is the definition of the word “exclusive”. One will be surprised to find that there are only 333 of these hand-built masterpieces around the world (only 50 in the US). And much like the R8 GT Coupe, the Spyders also have a number system on the gearstick to tell which is which… which sounds ridiculous yet it makes us want one even more.

Lightweight components of the GT Spyder serve as the technical distinction of the car. The engine frame is constructed of ultra-light magnesium, and the long cover over the soft-top compartment and the large side panels at the rear are made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. That carbon diet has payed off and the GT is now 187.39 lbs lighter than an already efficient and nimble R8. The carbon fiber rear spoiler provides the right amount of downforce to the rear axle while a stiffer suspension gives the GT a more agile feel. The whole car in fact is lower by 10 millimeters compared to the the standard car. Grip is guaranteed as the long-lasting quattro technology is there work its magic on the 19 inch wheels. At the same time, xyz ventilated and cross-drilled rotors provide exceptional stopping power. Aerodynamics get some benefit from the visuals (a rear diffuser and a front splitter).

If we take into account the weight saving and the 5.2-liter V10 FSI engine that gives the GT Spyder 560 horses to play with, we conclude to some very impressive figures: from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 197 mph

The interior is black and can be adorned with stitching in a choice of Titanium Gray or Crimson Red for that extra something. Alcantara can be applied on the seat inserts, flat-bottom sport steering wheel, hand brake cover and windshield frame.

Here are the listed highlights that give the GT Spyder a high degree of exclusivity:

R8 GT Spyder Standard Features Highlights:

5.2L 10-cylinder, gasoline engine, aluminum block
quattro® all-wheel-drive
Exterior mirrors: power adjustable, heated Front Airbags: Driver and passenger full-size dual-stage front airbags and knee airbags
Side airbags: Driver and passenger seat mounted head and thorax airbags
Front disc brakes: 8-Piston calipers, perforated, internally vented
Rear disc brakes: 4-Piston calipers, perforated, internally vented
LED headlights and daytime running lights
Sport seats, heated, 10-way power with 4-way power lumbar
Audi navigation system plus, 6-disc CD changer, Sirius Satellite Radio, Aux-in jack with 7 speakers and 5-channel amplifier with a total
output of 140 Watts
Preparation for mobile phone (Bluetooth®) with seatbelt microphone

R8 GT Specific Standard Features Highlights:
19″ R8 GT wheels with summer performance tires
R tronic ®, 6-speed sequential gearbox with shift-by-wire technology and sports mode
R8 GT specific sport suspension system
R8 GT specific carbon fiber matte exterior mirrors
R8 GT specific LED tail lights
R8 GT specific aluminum door sill inserts
R8 GT specific steering wheel
R8 GT specific sport seats in Alcantara and leather
R8 GT specific carbon fiber matte interior inlays (monoposto and interior door handles)
R8 GT specific numbered aluminum gear knob
Windshield frame in Alcantara

Optional Equipment Highlights:
Audi navigation system plus with Audi music interface w/ iPod® cable (replaces 6-disc CD changer)
Audi Carbon Ceramic Brakes
Bang & Olufsen Sound System (12 speakers 495 watt)
Titanium Finish 19″ 5-arm-double-spoke-design aluminum alloy wheels with summer performance tires
Forged Aluminum 19″ 5-twin-spoke-Y-design in matte silver look with summer performance tires
Carbon fiber matte door and center console panels
Windscreen Frame in Fine Nappa Leather (interior)

The 2012 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the limited-edition R8 GT Spyder is as follows: MSRP $210,000 (excludes $1,200 Destination and Delivery and Taxes). Deliveries will begin in February.

Source: Audi

February 2, 2012

Fiat 500L Premiere

Big news! No really, the Fiat 500L (L for “Large”) will be making a debut on the 82^nd Geneva Motor Show and today we have the first official images of it. Supposedly it will be targeted at people who want an SUV with MPV passenger space in a B car segment of restrained dimensions and efficiency (picky). The 500L, which complements the 500 Abarth and Cabrio versions, is Fiat‘s best shot at that.

Dimensions stand at 414 cm of length, 178 cm of width and 166 cm of height while inside the single-volume cabin offers seating for five. It is a further development of the concept of ‘cab forward’ introduced by Fiat with the 600 Multipla, a precursor to the concept of the compact people carrier.

The 500L wont hit the European showrooms until the last quarter of 2012 with three engine choices: the TwinAir (2011 international engine of the year), a 1.4 unit and a turbo diesel, 1.3 Multijet II. Although the MPV/SUV/Estate Fiats 500 will hold the latest of Fiat Group’s technology, production will be based in a Fiat factory in Kragujevac, Serbia.

Source: Fiat

February 2, 2012

VW Super Bowl “The Dog Strikes Back” Spot

Volkswagen of America Inc. have revealed their third consecutive ad campaign project for the Super Bowl. On their YouTube channel we can watch a 0:75 extended commercial that is due to air on Game Day in a 0:60 second form.

“This is a perfect opportunity for Volkswagen to celebrate with the fans that have made 2011 such a record-setting year for the company,” said Tim Mahoney, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “This year’s commercial will build on Volkswagen’s ability to tell human stories simply while continuing to build on the brand’s momentum in the year ahead.”

All formalities aside, VW seem reluctant to drop the Star Wars theme despite the fact that the one now, seemingly has nothing to do with drones and Darth Vader. If you remember last year’s commercial, “The Force” spot, features a young Darth Vader who seems determined to make something work with “the Force”. Needless to say that with a little help of the father in the house, the youngster manages to fire up a VW Passat. The commercial went on to become a viral hit with almost 7 million views on YouTube.

This year, VW released a teaser with an ensemble of dogs that bark out the “Imperial March” and now we have a fully revealed commercial. It features an obese dog which for some reason is unable to get out of the house (supposedly opening the door is not an option). After realizing that there is a good chance of having the opportunity to run along a VW Beetle just for the fun of it, the dog goes on a strict diet and engages in an intense workout. Then there is the Star Wars intermission – the commercial is being watched in the iconic Cantina introduced in Star Wars Episode IV where a rather grown up Darth Vader makes a cameo. We also have that loopy tune from the alien jazz band stuck in our head now.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-9EYFJ4Clo

Source: Volkswagen

February 2, 2012

Infiniti Concept Name Revealed

On the 82nd Geneva Motor Show, The Japanese performance/luxury car producer, Infiniti will introduce an advanced sports car concept. Up to this day not much has been heard about it but facts are now starting to emerge as the concept will be called… EMERG-E, an electric car. For Infiniti, having a range-extender drivetrain among their products will be a first. Despite of that, the company promises vivid performance and naturally, zero emissions

The reveal will take place on March 6 at the Infiniti stand, number 1030 in Hall 1, at 10:15CET. For those who wont have the privilege to walk around among the many, many exotic cars at that day in Geneva, Infiniti will provide a live stream on www.infiniti.eu

Here are some of the teasers we have seen so far:

Source: Infiniti

February 2, 2012

Category: Auto News