Car Makes – Page 856 – Automobiles Review

Toyota iQ : Goodies for your favourity supermini

The iQ is probably the most interesting and nice small city car you can find on the market. It boasts unique style and personality. However, the manufacturer now offers even greater individuality with the introduction of colourful body and roof decals and a choice of vibrant leather upholstery options.

Customers can mix and match patterns and shades to suit their mood, and with a range of eight external paint colours, six leather combinations and six roof and body decals, there are hundreds of possible variations.

The exterior can be upgraded with decals that extends from a classic monochrome Check to a psychedelic multicolour Swirl. The other choices are Box, Bloom, Pulse and Aqua. Each decal design can be specified separately for the car’s roof and sides. Side decals cost £200 and roof decals – £180.

The interior offers six leather options match Nappa leather upholstery for all four seats with toning – or contrasting – stitching and fillet inserts around the shoulder area. The leathers are priced from £775.

The combinations are:

•   Black leather with platinum fillets and stitching
•   Platinum leather with black fillets and stitching
•   Red leather with platinum fillets and stitching
•   Black leather with Electric Blue fillets and stitching, plus iQ logo on headrest
•   Black leather with Burnt Orange fillets and stitching, plus iQ logo on headrest
•   Black leather with red fillets and stitching, plus iQ logo on headrest

Toyota iQ Customised - Clever Cars — Toyota iQ Customised – Clever Cars

Source: Toyota

January 20, 2012

2012 Renault Scenic UK Price – £18 325

Renault UK has priced the new 2012 Scenic and Grand Scenic. The family vehicles start at just £18 325 OTR for Scenic and £19 725 for Grand Scenic. The prices are highly competitive considering the nice standard equipment and the high versatility of the models.

The 2012 Grand Scenic is available only in one trim level – Dynamique TomTom. It includes 16” alloy wheels, auto lights and wipers, Bluetooth™, cruise control, Carminat TomTom Live satellite navigation, it now includes rear parking sensors and LED daytime running lights as standard.

Available as an option on all versions of the Dynamique TomTom (except the 1.6 VVT 110), a new Luxe Pack offers some impressive equipment worth considerably in excess of its £1 500 price tag. Included in it are 17” Sari alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, BOSE Energy Efficient sound system with nine speakers, digital amplifier, sliding centre console, electrically folding door mirrors and the Visio System.

The engine range includes two new power units – 1.2 TCe 115 petrol and 1.5 dCi 110 Stop & Start. Both boast impressive performance, economy and emission figures.

Scénic and Grand Scénic will also be the first models to feature the Visio System by Renault which assists the driver’s vigilance and night-time vision thanks to two key functions. This latest innovation by the French brand combines a lane departure warning system and an automatic high/low beam headlight function.

Prices for the Scenic start at £18 325 for the Dynamique TomTom 1.6 VVT 110 and go up to £21 325 for the top-of-the-range Dynamique TomTom 1.6 dCi 130 Stop & Start.

Seven-seat Grand Scenic prices start from £19 725 for the Dynamique TomTom 1.6 VVT 110, rising to £22,725 for the Dynamique TomTom 1.6 dCi 130 Stop & Start.

Source: Renault

January 20, 2012

“Chevy Happy Grad” Advertisement – The Winner of Route 66 Super Bowl Ad Contest [VIDEO]

The advertisement called “Chevy Happy Grad” deserves some special attention, indeed. This ad won the Route 66 Super Bowl Ad Contest among 198 other choices. It was created by 26-year old Long Island resident Zach Borst. It will be aired officially during the telecast of Super Bowl XLVI. What is more interesting here is that the ads submitted for this contest gained more than 32 million total online views between December 22 and January 14.

The requirement for the filmmakers was to depict a life’s journey and how Chevrolet is there along the way. “Happy Grad” ad not only answers this requirement but also shows the passion that Chevrolet elicits. Moreover it is hilarious and lot of families can relate to similar situations, where expectations actually don’t meet reality. Some great news for the filmmaker Borst is that the audience on Super Bowl Sunday is expected to exceed 110 million television viewers.

Borst filmed “Chevy Happy Grad” near his home on Long Island during a weather window that offered Zach, his cast and crew only four hours to complete the project. They did spectacular job, didn’t they! Furthermore is that the story was inspired by his dad’s efforts to buy him a car for his graduation. Although it was used, it was very special gift. This lead Borst to the idea, what it would look like if he got a brand new Camaro as a graduation gift? And this is how the ad was born.

You can watch the video below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae52ourE3Pw

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Chevrolet

January 20, 2012

2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV – Price $21625

2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the brand’s new 100% electric-powered vehicle which features Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle (MiEV) technology. It is going to be delivered to the first retail customers in the continental United States. The fortunate early adopters of the car are going to benefit from this highly technological and advanced automobile and form its fuel efficiency. Moreover this all-electric production vehicle is not only one of the most affordably-priced mass-market EV available in the U.S., but also the car was recently announced as the number one vehicle on the EPA’s list of “Fuel Economy Leaders: 2012 Model Year”.

The very first Hawaii retail delivery of the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV was last month in Honolulu, Hawaii. The model will be launched across the United States, however, in the summer of this year. The 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV will be available across much of the United Sates by this summer. It has a starting net value of $21,625. The price includes the well-equipped entry-level ES model. On the other hand, the premium-grade SE version begins at $23,625. More importantly, the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV is the first of several new advanced, alternative-fuel production vehicles, which the Japanese company is planning to offer to the U.S. market in the near future.

Source: Mitsubishi

January 20, 2012

2012 BMW 1-Series M-Sport Price – £22 510

BMW has introduced the 2012 1-Series M-Sport, which offers a number of modifications for the hatchback.

The exterior M Package includes restyled bumpers and side skirts. There is also a set of nice 18” Star-spoke light alloy wheels, a high-gloss shadowline restyled front kidney grille. The stance is further improved by lowering the ride with 10mm. All these enhancements give the new 1-Series better presence on the road and individual style.

The interior boasts an Anthracite headlining, Aluminum Hexagon interior trim, Estoril Blue styling accents and ///M badge door sills. There are also front sport seats finished in black cloth and Alcantara. The steering wheel is also a new one as well as the short-shift gear lever.

However, if you aren’t please with the M-Sport package, you can complete it with the Sport Plus Edition pack adding Dark Line rear lights and Black mirror casings, Boston leature upholstery lines and USB/ Bluetooth connectivity.

2012 BMW 1-Series M-Sport is priced at £22 510 for the 116i model and the prices go up to £27 820 for the 125d. The alternative 125i M Sport is priced from £26 030.

Source: BMW

January 19, 2012

MINI Baker Street and Bayswater

Two new interesting models from MINI – Baker Street and Bayswater will hit the market in spring 2012. Both cars feature expressive design highlights and nice equipment.

The MINI Baker Street embodies the youthful, fresh and innovative trend-setting style of the brand, while the MINI Bayswater focuses primarily on the sporting verve and agile handling for which MINI is renowned.

The MINI Baker Street is available in MINI One, MINI Cooper, MINI One D and MINI Cooper D guise, while the MINI Bayswater is available as a MINI Cooper, MINI Cooper S, MINI Cooper D and MINI Cooper SD.

The Bayswater model features Kite Blue metallic exterior paintwork, 17” light-alloy Sandblast wheels with high-gloss black surfaces and bright machined rim and spoke edges. There are also black contrasting roof and the likewise newly created Sport Stripes for the bonnet.

“Bayswater” lettering adorns the side indicator surrounds, door sills and seat tags. The Punch Leather seats come in the exclusive colour variant Rocklite Anthracite and include side bolsters sporting a metallic sheen and blue and grey contrast stitching. Two-tone contrast stitching also adorns the gearshift/selector lever and handbrake gaiters.

Other innovative design features in the interior include Piano Black cockpit trim strips, which continue the path set by the Sport Stripes over the bonnet, and the leather Colour Line elements in Rocklite Anthracite, whose classy character is emphasised by black stitching. The same leather variant is also used for the armrests, while the model-specific floor mats have anthracite-coloured edging and blue contrast stitching.

The MINI Bayswater also comes with stainless steel pedals and the Chrome Line Interior package, and includes the Pepper Pack in its range of equipment. Plus, the new special edition can likewise be specified with a wide variety of items from the optional equipment list if further individual touches are desired.

You can order Bayswater with Cooper – 122PS, Cooper S – 184PS, Cooper D – 112PS and Cooper SD – 143PS. The special-edition model is also delivered with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, while a 6-speed automatic features in the options range.

The Baker Street boasts Rooftop Grey metallic exterior paint combined with special bonnet stripes. It rides on 16” 6-Star twin-spoke alloys finished in high-gloss black matching the black mirror caps.

In the interior a fresh interpretation of the cloth/leather seats available for the standard MINI teams up with exclusive interior surfaces to create an unmistakable ambience. In traditional British style, the surfaces of the new seat variant in Cross Check Rooftop Grey light feature a diamond pattern. Light grey contrast stitching for the floor mats, gearshift/selector lever as well as the handbrake gaiters and seat tags which, like the door sills, bear “Baker Street” lettering, round off the array of bespoke interior features. The Chrome Line Interior package adds further lustre.

The Baker Street also includes the Pepper Pack, which brings with it air conditioning, an on-board computer, a leather steering wheel, the Chrome Line Exterior package, front foglamps, a lighting package and height adjustment for the front passenger seat.

It is offered with four engine variants – One with 98PS, Cooper with 122PS, One D with 90PS and Cooper D with 112PS. All the engines are mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard or an optional 6-speed automatic.

Source: MINI

January 19, 2012

2012 Renault Twingo Price – £10 350

Renault UK has announced the new 2012 Twingo, which starts at just £10 350 OTR.

The small city car is completely restyled and features new bold design, new revised bumper, tailgate and new rear lights.

“We have heightened New Twingo’s sensuous styling and seductive appeal, marking a return to Twingo’s original personality. We have also given the front end the brand’s new design identity which will be seen on all our new models.”, commented Renault’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Laurens van den Acker.

2012 Twingo is available in Fuchsia and Bermuda Blue added to the seven existing body colours.

The interior boasts Luxe Carbon seats, cruise control and a speed limiter as standard. Ideal around town and especially in speed camera-monitored roadworks, the speed limiter will not allow the car to exceed a pre-selected speed, whilst on a longer run, cruise control will maintain a selected speed. Therefore, New Twingo is as at home on the motorway as it is in the city.

The engine is a 1.2 liter 16V petrol with 75PS boasting impressive 55.4 mpg in the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 119g/km.

The options list boasts climate control, electric panoramic sunroof, two Option Packs and long list of exterior customisation accessories such as Renaultsport rear spoiler, and a series of decals.

New Twingo is on sale in the UK now.

Source: Renault

January 19, 2012

Opel Marks 150 Years of Existence

Opel is preparing to celebrate 150 years of business this year and to do it properly they are planning to release special “150 years Opel” edition of the Corsa, Meriva, Astra and Insignia line. The cars will come with additional equipment and styling that would normally cost much more as an option (one can save up to 2100 euros). An even more festive jubilee trim package – “150 years Opel” – will guarantee exclusivity and character.

The Corsa and Meriva editions both come with 16-inch alloy wheels and tinted, heat insulating Solar Protect glazing at the back. Other comfort tech that warms up the heart includes the heated steering wheel, cruise control and fog lights. The Corsa flashes chromed exhaust pipes regardless of the engine choice. The other three models can also come with the same exhaust system but they largely depend on the engine choice. The Astra gets 17-inch wheels, all of that equipment excluding the fog lights.

The top of the line Insignia rolls on 18 inch wheels, makes use of the same rear view window Solar Protect glazing seen in the other cars, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, fog lights and a cleaning system for the head lights. Air-conditioning is automatic and the new Navi 900 Europa infotainment system gives the term “interactivity” a whole new meaning.

If people are oblivious to all of those bonuses, they can still recognize the anniversary editions by the “150 Adam Opel” emblem, the aluminum door step with “OPEL” engraved on it. The interior is coated with premium quality fabric and leather-like Morrocana material.

The jubilee trim package adds more glitter to an already glamorous product. The Corsa and Meriva both get an adjustable panoramic roof or sunroof abd separate air conditioning for both the driver and the front passenger. Corsas can further be personalized with the ‘jubilee plus’ option which gives a park assist system and 17- inch alloy wheels. The Astra gets a more premium upholstery treatment and so does the Insignia. The latter also gets a glazed panoramic roof, an electric sunroof and zonal air-conditioning.

Source: Opel

January 19, 2012

2013 Mitsubishi Jump [Teaser]

The all-new vehicle from Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), named 2013 Mitsubishi Jump, is going to be introduced for the very first time on the European Market in March. This will happen at the Geneva Motor Show, where the world premiere will take place. This is a strategic and innovative vehicle and it will be available for purchase during 2012. Moreover it is a car of major importance for MMC, because it conveys their gradual transformation in design language. The launch of the new 2013 Jump, will set in motion an all-new generation of global products for Mitsubishi Motors. As promised, this model will be consistent with the ambitions for a greener and more global Mitsubishi.

This re-focused design language is still pictured as open design concept, or in other words – it is still being formulated. However, it is considered to be flexible enough to suit specific vehicle requirements, whilst staging Mitsubishi’s famous Three Diamond logo accordingly. With its refined design it is going to be even more assertive: this new engineering-driven look can be understood as the new expression of Mitsubishi’s near century old tradition of technology. Such technology, for example is the i-MiEV, the 4N1 Clean Diesel engine, Green Plastics and PHEV technologies. The latter is based on MMC’s state-of-the-art electric vehicle know-how which led to i-MiEV, prior to other future significant breakthrough.

Source: Mitsubishi

January 19, 2012

Ferrari and Maserati with new Showroom in Hong Kong

On the 18^th of January there was a big event in Hong Kong, and it was the grand opening of the newest Ferrari and Maserati showroom in Repulse Bay.

This is a prominent new location and it will provide circa 19,000 square feet of showroom space for the vehicles of the brand Ferrari and Maserati. More importantly it will include state-of-the-art facilities. It has to be mentioned that from there one can enjoy the fascinating views of the South China Sea too. This new dealership is a result of the latest phase of the expansion plan, which is undertaken by Italian Motors (Sales & Service) and Auto Italia Ltd. Both companies, respectively, have represented Ferrari and Maserati in Hong Kong and in Macau for the last 29 years.

Ferrari Maserati New Showroom Opening in Hong Kong

In details, the new Repulse Bay location is one of the most prestigious parts of Hong Kong. It follows on from the Ferrari and Maserati 3S Center in Ap Lei Chau, which was opened in 2005; and the 2009 opening of the Ferrari and Maserati 3S Centre in Shatin. The dealership is cardinal in terms of meeting the growing needs in this area of the world. Moreover it also means a commitment to Ferrari and Maserati customers, with the aim of provision of the finest service. The opening ceremony was attended by Dr Richard Lee, Chairman of Italian Motors (Sales & Service) and Auto Italia Ltd., Mr Herbert Adamczyk, Managing Director of Italian Motors (Sales & Service) and Auto Italia Ltd. and Mr Edwin Fenech, President & CEO of Ferrari Greater China.

Ferrari Maserati New Showroom in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong

Source: Maserati

January 19, 2012

Chevrolet Malibu driven 1 million test miles across globe

A very interesting experiment has been done on the all-new Chevrolet Malibu. Engineers have driven over 1 million miles (1.6 million km) with the vehicle. The aim was on-road development testing. However, to achieve this goal of 1 million miles, it took them about 22 months and sent them on six continents. Of course, this extensive road development and validation process served as a guarantee for the new Malibu’s overall ride and handling, comfort, quality and durability. We have to admit that with this experiment, Chevrolet has made a great advertisement of the new model. The new Malibu will be sold in 100 countries on six continents, making it Chevrolet’s first truly global midsize sedan.

Interesting information to be considered here is that driving 1 million miles in 22 months is equivalent of: 66,66 years of driving a car 15,000 miles (24,140 km) annually; 201 round-trips between New York City and Los Angeles; or two trips to the moon and back.

In details, the early prototypes of the model were hand-built by General Motors in the United States and shipped around the globe. They were driven at GM’s proving grounds around North America, as well as on the freeways, highways and back roads of the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, China, the U.K., Dubai and Germany. In this development stage the Malibu pre-production cars represented meant the powertrains, suspensions and other core elements of the cars were already green-lighted for production. More importantly this test-driving have helped a lot for the final refinement, upgrade and fine tuning of the overall dynamics in performance, interior quietness, seat comfort and drivability of the Malibu. In addition the Malibus were driven through Death Valley in the hottest summer days to validate the air conditioning performance. Of course, to make the picture even more clearly, the vehicles were also driven to the top of the Rocky Mountains for high-altitude tests. Furthermore the Malibus were went through hundreds of miles of stop-and-go rush hour drives in Chicago and Seoul; and through the winding hills of North Carolina to evaluate seat comfort and other long-drive factors. And when driving on the concrete dry road surfaces there is generated a considerable amount of noise. However the Chevrolet Malibu engineers have made it possible to develop the car in such way that it can Malibu soaked up those grooved roads quietly. Important fact as well is that the final chassis tuning for the European variant of the Chevrolet Malibu was finished in the Germany. The evaluation involved putting the car through its paces on a former air base which today serves as a test facility. And around 3,000 kilometers were accumulated in order to determine which chassis set-up is best suited for European roads. Additional testings were made around Europe, which were focused on engine and transmission calibration, or on navigation and radio systems.

On the other hand there was also some not so “far-away-driving” development of the Malibu models. For example the development cars in the U.K. and the U.S. were run through salt water troughs and placed in a chamber to simulate years of corrosion and winter road driving. In addition to these experiments, other Mlibus were parked in the Arizona sun to see how the interior materials held up to extreme heat. Of course not everything went so smoothly. Engineers found a few areas of the vehicle that required a bit more attention. For example there was a need of change in the application of liquid sealer to steel parts of the body structure, which helped produce a quieter ride.

This is Chevrolet’s eighth-generation Malibu. It will serve as the brand’s flagship vehicle in China, Korea, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world. In addition, in Europe, the Malibu will be equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter diesel or a 2.4-liter gasoline engine. The gasoline models will be at dealerships in several markets in the spring of 2012. The diesel version, however, will be launched in the second half of the year.

Source: Chevrolet

January 19, 2012

Sportec Audi RS3 Sportback

Audi RS3 Sportback is a real hot hatchback. It comes with a powerful 2.5 liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine, stiffened suspension, big wheels, big brakes and some interior upgrades. Still, Sportec decide to give it a little more performance.

The engine is boosted to whopping 408PS (300 kW) and 550Nm (406 lb-ft) , which is a serious increase of 68PS (50 kW) and 100Nm (74 lb-ft) over the factory power. However, there will be a five hundred horsepower package. Nice!

Sportec RS3 also comes with a loud stainless steel sports exhaust system, a fully adjustable coilover suspension, which can reduce the ride height by 20 to 40mm.

The brutal stance is finished by a set of 20” light alloy wheels fitted with performance tires. Last, but not least, you’ll get a high-performance Movit brake system.

The price list is not announced yet, but you have to prepare yourself for serious dissipation, because just the bace price of RS3 Sportback is €49 900.

Source: Sportec

January 18, 2012

Category: Car Makes