Automobiles Review – Page 1043 – Car News, Car Reviews, Auto Shows, Car Photos, Car Videos

Prior Design 2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe

Prior Design has revealed a special styling package for the 2012 BMW 6er Coupe (F12).

The exterior upgrades includes a new front bumper with large air intakes, LED lights and carbon fiber lip spoiler. There is also a new front hood and the grille kidneys are painted in black. The package also includes new side skirts and rear bumper with black areas around the exhaust tips. Prior design has also added a small air diffuser.

Prior Design 2012 BMW 6er Coupe stands on huge rims finished in matte black to complete the brutal exterior vision.

There are no words about the pricing or Performance packages.

Source: Prior Design

March 21, 2011

Chevrolet Colorado Concept

Colorado Concept will be exhibited by Chevrolet at the Bangkok International Motor Show. One thing is for sure – the truck looks gorgeous!

Chevrolet Colorado Concept features big grille, polished aluminum accents and LED headlights. The concept also has an extended-cab, a body-color tonneau cover and 20” alloy wheels with Cooper Zeon off-road tires.

The interior boasts a motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster, leather seats, dark wood trim, and chrome accents. There are also a dual-zone climate control system and a multimedia system with a 7” touchscreen display.

Chevrolet Colorado is powered by a 2.8-liter turbodiesel mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, which is very strange, because the trucks usually come with automatic. The power is put on the road through AWD system.

Chevy will launch the production model in Thailand later this year.

Source: Chevrolet

March 21, 2011

Richard Hamann passed away

Richard Hamann, the founder of Hamann Motorsport has passed away at the age of 53. The tragic news was first reported by Jon Sibal. Richard Hamann died on March 17, 2011 due to a severe illness.

The tuning and racing company Hamann Motorsport GmbH was founded in 1986.

Richard Hamann has partcipated in over 700 races, with 300 podium finishes and 103 victories.

He also achieved three victories of Special Touring Car Trophy with BMW M1.

Rest in piece!

Different milestones in the racing career of Richard Hamann:

more than 20 years active in motor sports
more than 700 races, 300 times finishing among the top three
103 victories
3-times victory of Special Touring Car Trophy with BMW M1
Commitments in Gruppe C
Commitments in DTM
Commitments in Formula 3

Source: Hamann

March 21, 2011

2012 Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG will have its official debut at the New York Auto Show next month. However, the manufacturer has revealed the model a little earlier. The monster will compete its true nightmare – BMW E92 M3.

C63 AMG is powered by the famous 6.2 liter V8 engine with 457PS (336 kW) and 600Nm (443 lb-ft). The engine is mated to a 7-speed SpeedShift MCT gearbox. 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and the top speed is electronically limiter to 250km/h (155 mph). However, the car will easily go up to 300 km/h. The big engine is not so thirsty – 12.0 l/100 km on combined cycle.

If this power is not enough, you can order AMG Performance Package, which boosts the engine to 487PS (358 kW) and 600Nm (443 lb-ft). The acceleration is slightly increasd 4.4 seconds to 100 km/h.

The interior boasts AMG sports seats, door panel centers and armrests upholstered in black designo leather with contrasting porcelain seams on the sports seats. It also has AMG performance steering wheel.

The exterior features AMG 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels painted in matt black. An exclusive option is available – a matt finish in designo magno night black or diamond white metallic BRIGHT.

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is priced at €72 590. . The optional AMG Performance package costs additional €7116.20.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTG7OMU0MS0

Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe:

	C 63 AMG Coupé
Displacement	6208 cc
Bore x stroke	102.2 x 94.6 mm
Compression ratio	11.3 : 1
Output	336 kW (457 hp) at 6800 rpm 358 kW (487 hp) at 6800 rpm*
Max. torque	600 Nm at 5000 rpm
Engine weight (dry)	195 kg 192 kg*
Fuel consumption NEDC combined	12.0 l/100 km
CO2 emissions	280 g/km
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h	4.5 s 4.4 s*
Top speed	250 km/h**

* with AMG performance package; ** electronically limited
Options:

AMG five-spoke light-alloy wheels, painted in titanium grey with a high-gloss finish, with 235/40 R 18 (front) and 255/35 R 18 (rear) tyres

AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels, painted in titanium grey with a high-gloss finish, with 235/35 R 19 (front) and 255/30 R 19 (rear) tyres

AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels, painted in matt black with a high-gloss finish on the rim flange, with 235/35 R 19 (front) and 255/30 R 19 (rear) tyres

AMG Exterior Carbon Fibre package

AMG rear axle differential lock

AMG trim elements in carbon fibre/high-gloss black piano lacquer

Illuminated AMG door sill panels

AMG floor mats

Safety features:

ABS anti-lock braking system (standard)
Adaptive Highbeam Assist (optional)

Active Lane Keeping Assist (optional)
Active Blind Spot Assist (optional)
ATTENTION ASSIST (standard)
DISTRONIC PLUS including BAS PLUS (optional)
Electronic Stability Program ESP® (standard)
Headlamp Assist (standard)
Speed Limit Assist (optional)
ntelligent Light Systems ILS (optional)
PARKTRONIC including Parking Guidance (optional)
PRE-SAFE® (optional)
PRE-SAFE® Brake (optional)
Lane Keeping Assist (optional)
Cruise control with SPEEDTRONIC variable speed control (standard)
Blind Spot Assist (optional)

Source: Mercedes

March 21, 2011

BAC MONO

A strange car from a strange company. This is the BAC MONO, which will bring unique performance to its customers.

The vehicle is created by Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) with founders two brothers – Neill and Ian Briggs of Cheshire, United Kingdom.

The single-seater is powered by brutal 2.3 liter naturally aspirated Cosworth engine with 285PS, which is longitudinally mounted, coupled to a 6-speed sequential gearbox from Hewland with a LSD.

BAC MONO features adjustable dampers from Sachs Racing and brakes by AP Racing. It stands on HRT alloy wheels from OZ Racing fitted with Kumho tires. Finally, the electronics are provided by GEMS.

As you may suggest, the performance is brutal – 2.8 seconds to 60 mph and only 6.7 seconds to 100 mph. The top speed is 273 km/h (170 mph). All this numbers are thanks to the staggering power to weight ratio – 520BHP per ton.

The vehicle is planned to go in production and there will be between 50 and 100 units per year. The price is decent – €91 998.

“MONO is the culmination of a 12-year dream for us – the car we wanted to own but nobody else made,” commented Neill Briggs.

We agree with him!

Source: Briggs Automotive Company Ltd

March 21, 2011

Porsche 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”

Porsche 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder” is practically a bonus to the customers of 918 Spyder.

The special edition Turbo S will start deliveries in June in Europe and prices start at €173 241 for the Coupe and at €184 546 for the Cabriolet version. The US models are much cheaper – $160 700 and $172 100, respectively.

911 Turbo S is powered by a 3.8 liter twin-turbo flat-six with 530PS (389 kW) at 6750 RPM and 700Nm (516 lv0ft) between 2100 and 4250RPM.

The engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox. The curb weight of the car is 1660kg. 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and top speed of 315km/h (195 mph).

There is an optional Sports Chrono overboost package, which increases torque for short periods (maximum 10 seconds) but over a narrower rev range.

Source: Porsche

March 21, 2011

Porsche 918 Spyder

Porsche will actually put in production the 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid. It will be produced in a limited run starting in 2013, but the company has already started to take orders for the car.

The vehicle will be produced in September 2013 on a limited series at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen plant in Germany.

Porsche 918 Spyder is powered by a unique type of plug-in hybrid system. It includes a high-revving 4.0 liter V8 engine and 500HP.

The price is astonishing – €645 000 and $845 000 for the US. However, the company expects to sell all units, because the car will be more valuable for a collection, instead of special driving experience and abilities.

There is a bonus for the customers of 918 Spyder. Only they will be able to order the limited series 911 Turbo S, either coupe or cabriolet depending on taste.

source: Porsche

March 21, 2011

BMW 1 Series M Coupe Safety Car

BMW has announced a specially created 1 Series M Safety Car for MotoGP. The auto-maker is also offering other high-performance vehicles to be used by the Dorna Sports management team and IRTA officials.

On 19^th March, BMW 1 Series M Coupe will for the first time be deployed as the official Safety Car for the MotoGP events.

BMW 1 Series M Coupe is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder with 340PS (250 kW) and 500Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to a 6-speed manual transmission.

The BMW Safety Car features carbon fibre-reinforced bonnet featuring additional large air vents, as well as polycarbonate side and rear windows. There are also a lightweight titanium race exhaust system, an adjustable rear wing, new front apron and an additional splitter integrated on the underside of the apron.

The interior includes a rollcage, absence of rear seats, two racing bucket seats with 6-point safety belts, an M steering wheel in alcantara and a fire extinguisher.

The suspension is also improved – an adjustable race track set-up that includes a sports-tuned chassis in which the dampers are independently adjustable for bump and rebound.

The car stands on 19” wheels with tires in dimensions 255/35 at the front and 285/30 at the rear. The braking system of the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, already designed for extremely high demands, is replaced in the Safety Car with a 6-piston fixed-calliper racing brake system.

source: BMW

March 18, 2011

Koenigsegg Agera R specs

Koenigsegg has recently unveiled the brutal Agera R at the Geneva Show.

The hyper car is powered by a 5.0 liter twin-turbo V8 with blistering 1115PS (820 kW) at 6900RPM and the red line is a bit after that – 7250RPM. The maximum torque is 1200Nm (885 lb-ft) at 4100RPM, but over 1000Nm is available from 2700 to 6170RPM. 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, to 200 km/h in 7.5 seconds.

A really hard discipline 0 to 200 and back to stand still is done in just 12.7 seconds. The brakes are so hard, that when you press them to the metal, you will have the feeling that your face will be taken off. The breaking distance from 100 km/h to stand still is 30.5m.

One of the most interesting about the car is the weight-to-power ratio: 1.19 kg/hp. The car has a curb weight of 1435 kg and with over a thousand horsepower, it is a real adventure to drive it.

Agera R has special Vortex Generating Rim (VGR) wheels wrapped in Michelin tires, which are specially developed for the hyper car and can hold a speeds up to 419 km/h (260 mph).

Koenigsegg Agera R Technical specifications:

Performance

Power output: 1115 hp at 6900 rpm – redline @ 7250 rpm
Torque: over 1000 Nm from 2700 to 6170 rpm
Max torque: 1200 Nm at 4100 rpm
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) 2.9 seconds
0-200 km/h 7,5 sec, 0-200-0 km/h 12.7 sec
Braking distance: 30.5m (100-0 km/h)
Lateral g-force: 1.6 g
Fuel consumption: Highway travel: 12,5 l/100km, Combined: 14,7/100km
Weight-to-power ratio: 1.19 kg/hp (dry weight)
Weight distribution: 45% front, 55% rear
Emission levels: Euro V and lev 2

Aerodynamics

Cd. 0,33 to 0,37 with adaptable rear wings.
Frontal Area: 1.873 m2
Total Downforce at 250 km/h: 300 kg
Flat underside of chassis. Venturi tunnels at rear of chassis/body.

Dimensions

Total length: 4293 mm (169″)
Total width: 1996 mm (78.6″)
Total height: 1120 mm (44.1″)
Ground clearance: Rear: 100 mm (3.94″) Front: 100 mm (3.94″)
Wheelbase: 2662 mm.
Front track: 1700 mm. Rear track: 1650 mm.
Front overhang: 885mm Rear overhang: 752mm
Fuel capacity: 80 liters
Luggage compartment: 120 liters (31.7 US gallons)
Dry weight: 1330 kg
Curb weight 1435 kg (all fluids plus 50% fuel)
Maximum laden weight: 1650 kg (full tank, two passengers, full luggage)

Chassis

Carbon fiber with aluminum honeycomb and integrated fuel tanks for optimal weight distribution and safety.
Monocoque torsional rigidity: 65,000 Nm/degree.
Weight including tanks: 70 kg.
Front and rear suspension: Double wishbones, two-way adjustable VPS gas-hydraulic shock absorbers, pushrod operated.
Triplex damper in the rear.
Electronically adjustable ride height. Front: Cro-Mo subframe, with integrated crash members.
Rear: Semi-stressed engine and gearbox with support struts, for needle bearings and o-ringed wishbone bushings optimal rigidity and no engine inertia movements.
Fully machined aircraft aluminium uprights, with SKF LeMans specification 150mm angle contact ball bearings.
GKN hollow/gun-drilled driveshafts.
Koenigsegg Z-style progressive and lightweight anti-roll bars front and rear.

Engine

Koenigsegg aluminum 5,0L V8, 4 valves per cylinder, double overheadcamshafts
Compression: 9.0:1
Bore: 91.7 mm Stroke: 95.25 mm
Sequential, multipoint fuel injection.
Twin turbo superchargers
1.4 bar boost pressure.
Dry sump lubrication.
Carbon fibre intake manifold with optimised intake tracts.
Tig-welded ceramic coated inconel exhaust system manifold with merge collector.
Weight: 197 kg

Transmission

Specially developed 7-speed dual clutch, 1 input shaft transmission with paddle-shift.
Electronic differential

Steering

Rack and pinion power assisted steering. 2.7 turns lock-to-lock.
Turning circle: 11 metres. TRW electro-hydraulic power-assisted.

Brakes

Front brakes: Ventilated ceramic discs Ø 397 mm, 40 mm wide.
6-piston calipers. Power-assisted.
Rear brakes: Ventilated ceramic discs Ø 380 mm, 34 mm wide.
4-piston callipers. Power-assisted.

Traction Control

F1-style for optimal performance with 5 different handling modes.

Wheels

Koenigsegg forged Vortex generating aluminium wheels with centre locking
Front: 19″ x 9.5″
Rear: 20″ x 12.5″

Tyres

Dedicated Michelin Supersport
Unidirectional with asymmetric thread pattern
Front: 265/35 – 19″ (Y)
Rear: 345/30 – 20″ (Y)
Speed rating: 420+ km/h

Body

Two-door, two seater with removable hardtop stowable under the front hood lid. Body made from pre-impregnated carbon fibre/kevlar and lightweight sandwich reinforcements. Carbon vents over wheels.

Electrical System

Solid state digital semiconductors – no fuses or relays. Can bus operated and fully programmable functionality.

Equipment

Dual airbags, detachable storable hardtop with glass roof, power windows, adaptive rear wing, adjustable pedals and steering column, Agera stitching, adjustable seats in rake and length, carbon ceramic brakes with Sport ABS, hydraulic lifting system, power steering, power brakes, extra 4 point seatbelts for track use. satnav, Intelligent LifePo4 battery, MP3 player, USB connection, climate control, digital warning and info system, G sensor, alarm, tyre monitoring system, silver key, leather carpets, roof storage bag, car cover.

Extra Equipment

Fitted luggage, special leather and colour requests, full visible carbon body, Inconel exhaust system, Front winglets, rear view camera, heated seats, ski box roof, skis, winter wheel package, 4 point racing harnesses.

source: Koenigsegg

March 18, 2011

Audi A9 – details

Audi A9 flagship 4-door coupe is based on the current A8, so that means that it will be over 5 meters long and the interior will deliver extraordinary good comfort. A9 is expected to hit the market in 2014 and there will be two variant – cabriolet and coupe. The price will be around €80 000, which is a bit expensive for a GT car.

Audi A9 will compete directly against Mercedes CLS and Porsche Panamera.

The body-style features an aluminum space-frame and source its main components from the MLB architecture. A9 will also have the air-sprung chassis architecture and the assembly line at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant.

Another innovation is the newly developed engine – a 4.0 liter V8. The engine range will also include some V6s and V8s of the A8 range.

The most powerful 6.3 liter W12 will also be available as an option.

There is no further data for Audi A9, but one thing is for sure – It looks amazing!

March 18, 2011

2011 Honda Brio

Honda has announced the new 2011 Brio model, which is specially created for India, Thailand and China. The production car is practically the same as the last year’s prototype. It also resembles Honda Fit and measures 3 610mm in length, 1 680mm in width and 1 475mm in height.

The interior offers a lot of space and good quality materials, although it is pretty basic and there aren’t many extras. However, the price matches to the car perfectly – $12 862 (390 000 baht). The vehicle is scheduled to hit the market in the end of May and the company expects to sell more than 40 000 units annually in the Thai market.

Brio is powered by a 1.2 liter four-cylinder i-VTEC engine with 90PS (66 kW) and achieves an average fuel consumption of approximately 5.0 L/100km (47 mpg).

source: Honda

March 18, 2011

Smart ForTwo Disco Ball

An interesting idea is to turn a car into a disco ball and not just any type of vehicle, but a Smart ForTwo electric drive.

The show car is completely covered in reflective glass tiles from the roof to the tires. It is used in the film titled Pixel City, which will be shown as part of an art installation at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin on March 26 and 27.

The whole idea came from the experimental band Apparatjik. The group members include well-known pop musicians Magne Furuholmen of a-ha, Guy Berryman of Coldplay, Jonas Bjerre of Mew and music producer Martin Terefe.

The art installation “Apparatjik Light Space Modular” features an interactive display which collects data to be turned into a song.

Sounds interesting!

source: smart

March 18, 2011

Blog