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Kahn Releases CWT Pick Up based on Land Rover Defender

Chelsea Truck Company and Kahn Design have released a very stunning project that some of the female car enthusiasts might even find ugly. However, this car is for the guys. It is rough, aggressive and has this military stance. To go into details, the vehicle here is based on the latest edition of the Land Rover Defender. The tuners also call it Defender 2.4 TDCI 90 Pick Up Chelsea Wide Track.

The military heritage of the vehicle is expressed via the Keswick Green exterior paint finish. On the other hand we have this huge contrast that the wheels make. Precisely, they are the 1939 Defend Retro Dish wheels that come in exuberant orange. Their stance is further strengthened via the massive 275/55/20 tyres.

The muscularity of this vehicle is due to some substantial changes made in its outer structure. For example, the front and rear arches were widened, the bolt apertures were additionally exposed, and the front bumper has been entirely replaced.

But that is not everything the specialists have achieved. The grille is X-Lander’s, there are new stainless steel hood and fender vent mesh, while the front bumper has been replaced and now features integrated lights and shadow chrome headlights. And just take a look of the custom CTC wheel cover and the unique side steps. Rounding out the exterior tuning are the toughened mud flaps and a twin cross-hair exhaust system.

Stepping inside, the interior keeps the masculinity from the exterior, but with added sense of luxury and style. In particular, the seats have been substituted with Sports GTB ones wrapped in quilted and perforated leather.

The same upholstery can be seen on the instrument binnacle and door cards. Alcantara has been the choice for the detailing. Kahn also delivered machined aluminium billet steering wheel vented foot pedals as well as Churchill Time Clock. At last, the front and rear floor mats are making this project complete.

Source: Kahn Design

March 20, 2015

Lotus Celebrates Elise with Anniversary Special Edition

Lotus Elise Anniversary Special Edition Front Side Left View It is exactly 20 years since Lotus unveiled the first ever Elise sports car in Frankfurt, Germany, back in the 1995. This means 20 years of benchmark performance and handling and marks also the introduction of the advanced (for these years) bonded aluminium chassis. Many improvements were made since then and it seems that they were the right ones because the iconic car is still one of the best in its class, if not the best.

To celebrate this, Lotus is releasing the Elise Anniversary Special Edition. It is equipped with lightweight components, which save around 10kg from its weight. Precisely, the car now measures 914kg. Another advantage from the reduced body mass is the improved fuel consumption that has been estimated at 5.9 litres per 100 km (47.6 mpg), while the CO2 emissions are of 173 g/km.

Under the hood, there is the 1.8-litre supercharged engine that helps the car accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds on the way to a top speed of 145 mph (237 km/h).

The special edition is based on the Elise S Club Racer, but adds equipment that (note!) further help the car reduce weight. For example, the matt black forged wheels are lightweight as is the body colored lightweight centre console and the Alcantara/leather sports seats.

The new model can be ordered in four classic colors: Blue, Green, Yellow and Silver. In contrast, matt black has been chosen for the rear diffuser, wing mirrors, roll hoop cover and rear transom. At last, marking that this car is very special are the Elise 20th Anniversary decals found on the dashboard, seats and above the side indicator.

Lotus Elise 20th Anniversary is currently on sale and has a starting price of £39,900.

Source: Lotus

March 20, 2015

2016 Chevrolet Camaro Breaks Silence [VIDEO]

2016 Chevrolet Camaro Architecture Teaser The silence is finally broken! We urge you to hear the throat of the next generation Camaro in the video below. The sixth edition of the most popular muscle car will be absolutely unique, right? What you don’t know is that the new Chevy model has been entirely reworked. In fact almost 70 percent of its architecture components are one-off. This means that Camaro Six will be a true performance master from the inside out judging from the sound it produces.

In addition, Chevrolet told us some very special details about the car. First, we must expect an “all-new car”, starting from the front with the redesigned grille and ending with the rear spoiler. In fact, there are exactly two elements that are taken from the fifth gen Camaro and these are the bowtie emblem on the taillamp panel and the SS badge.

Next, the car will be based on the Alpha architecture developed by General Motors. If this does not speak anything to you, then it is probably good to know that the Alpha will offer engaging driving dynamics, refined experience and the needed balanced stiffness. As mentioned, this architecture includes components that are new in the amount of up to 70 percent.

Even the size of the muscle icon is changed. Chevrolet says that the exterior and interior dimensions are new to the Gen 6, as well as the front and rear suspension and some of the components in the Small Block 6.2L LT1 V-8 engine. Mentioning the powertrain, 20 percent of it will be tailored to fit the Camaro’s new dimensions, including the tubular “tri-Y”-style exhaust manifolds.

Another instance is the front structure that is now lighter, while the profile is widened in order to deliver more stable driving experience. In addition, inside we will meet an interior that we have never seen before.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro will be unveiled on 16^th of May at event in Detroit’s Belle Isle park. There are a lot of teasers to be unleashed until then, so stay tuned for more information and don’t forget to watch (and hear) the video below.

httpv://youtu.be/oPsj-8Xke3M

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Chevrolet

March 20, 2015

Alpha-N Performance Gives BMW M4 Output and Aero Tweaks

Alpha-N Performance is not a tuner we hear of every day. But when they release a project it is definitely worth it to spread the word. The specialists have released some images and detailed information on what they have done to the BMW M4 coupe. The first thing to mention is the aero package that not only lightens the vehicle but also highlights its sporting characteristics.

To be more precise, up front the car has been upgraded with carbon-fibre front spoiler and front bumper. There are also GT4 dive planes available and of course, they have been made from the same material.

At the rear of the car there is a new carbon diffuser which sports short or long fins, depending on customer’s wish. This is where we also see an adjustable rear wing fitted with a spoiler. If one does not like wings, then there is this option of boot lid rear spoiler lip.

Next on spot comes the performance package that has been made possible via the well-known EVOX multi-channel chip tuning box. The result is more power coming out from the TwinPower Turbo engine which is measured at 520 hp (382 kW). In comparison, the standard output was 431 hp (317 kW) and this means almost 100 hp in addition.

The torque is lifted up to 685 Nm (506 lb-ft) and for this has also helped the new stainless steel exhaust system. These new numbers are put on the road via uprated wheel and tyre combination. The wheels are multispoke ones and come from OZ Racing or mbDESIGN. They were fitted with low profile tyres for maximum sporting credentials and appearance.

Source: Alpha-N Performance

March 19, 2015

Mazda MX-5 Steps into the Virtual Reality [VIDEO]

Mazda Mx-5 is one of the most iconic cars we know. With its red exterior and sporting characteristics it is perfect for other purposes then being purely dedicated to the road. The real road, I mean, because the car has made its virtual debut in the Xbox One’s Forza Horizon 2 game. The players will actually have the opportunity to drive the new Mazda MX-5 on the console months before the real car goes official on the markets.

So, this is the perfect opportunity for those, who eagerly await the vehicle and at the same time own the console and game. In this virtual world, the players will test the new generation MX-5, next to three other MX-5 roadsters from previous years.

What is more, the car pack is free for download since 17^th of March and it will also allow users to collect and drive all four MX-5s. Precisely, the other cars in the pack are the iconic first generation 1990 model, the 2010 MX-5 Super20 SEMA Show concept car and the limited 2005 MAZDASPEED MX-5.

To have a glimpse of the cars you can watch the official promo video below. There you will see that the detailed graphics represent an exact replication of all MX-5s featured, inside and out. The gamers will also have the chance to drive the preferred vehicle on open-world roads through various climates and during the day or night. As for the new generation Mazda MX-5, it will step out of the virtual reality later this summer, when it will officially go on sale.

httpv://youtu.be/7SCE3yONvOA

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Mazda

March 19, 2015

BMW Advertises the X5 xDrive40e [VIDEO]

BMW X5 xDrive40e Promotional Clip This week we’ve seen the birth of the BMW X5 xDrive40e and now the Bavarian company released the first promotional advertising short video. There was also the announcement that the vehicle will be launched in November, so this is definitely something we didn’t know and that gets us pretty excited. The clip comes to display that literally every inch of this X5 is powered by the BMW eDrive hybrid technology.

There are some really nice things about this SAV that are worth mentioning. Being eco-minded, I really like the fact that the car needs only 3.4 liters per 100 km and emits 78 g/km of CO2. It is a quite surprise to see these numbers since the vehicle weighs more than 2 tons, 2,230 kg that equals 4,916 lbs.

Another interesting fact about this hybrid vehicle is that it is equipped with technologies taken directly from the famous BMW i cars. To achieve its performance capabilities of 313 horsepower (230 kW) and 450 Newton meters (332 lb-ft) as well its impressive economy, this vehicle utilizes a mix of a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor. All this is linked to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission and a 9 kWh lithium-ion battery.

These facts allow the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only 6.8 seconds. On the other hand, it can run up to 31 kilometers in pure electric mode and releasing zero emissions. At last, worth mentioning is that a lot of technologies are featured in this SAV. They will help the driver forget that this is a hybrid and enjoy it like it’s a pure-bred BMW.

httpv://youtu.be/IWG1jhRCvvc

Source: BMW via YouTube

March 19, 2015

Opel Corsa Gets 150 hp Turbo Engine

2015 Corsa is getting a 150 horsepower 1.4 ECOTEC Turbo engine. The sporty new unit will be offered on both the three- and five-door variants. The result is better driving experience and performance. Besides the additional horsepower, the car receives more torque as well. Precisely it is measured at 220 Nm, which actually contributes to the 8.9 seconds acceleration time for the 0-100 km/h sprint. The top speed of 207 km/h speaks for itself. The unit is coupled with a six-speed transmission that drives the front wheels.

Although this engine is more powerful than the Corsa 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo with only 115 hp, it shows great efficiency. The car needs only 5.9 liters of fuel per 100 km. If you wonder about the CO2 emissions, they are 136 g/km.

In addition, this particular Corsa will be offered in two trim choices: the so called Color Edition and the INNOVATION. There is also a Turbo Plus Package that offers additional equipment which is similar to the OPC version of the car.

To go into details, inside the Color Edition one will find wide range of standard features such as aluminum sports pedals and in the rear – a darkly tinted Solar Protect heat-absorbing glazing. In addition, there are also steering wheel with controls for the audio and cruise control. On the outside this model stands out with high-gloss black roof and grille, chrome exhaust tailpipe, fog lights and 17-inch wheels.

INNOVATION trim is all about luxury. It adds chrome window trim and door handles. The other features that are worth mentioning here are the bi-xenon headlamps, the LED daytime running lights as well as the automatic low beam lighting and the rain sensor for the wiper blades.

As mentioned there is a Turbo Plus Package available. It mimics the OPC car with front and rear spoiler lip, body-colored side sills and a roof spoiler. Two elements are made of carbon – the exterior mirrors and the grille. Inside there is a sports steering wheel, Recaro sport seats, gearshift knob and handbrake wrapped in black leather.

	Corsa 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo	Corsa 1.4 Turbo	Corsa OPC 1.6 Turbo

Emission classification	Euro 6	Euro 6	Euro 6
Number of cylinders	3	4	4
Displacement (cm3)	999	1,364	1,598
Max. output in kW (hp) / at rpm	85 (115) / 5,000-6,000	110 (150) / 5,000	152 (207) / 5,800
Max. torque in Nm / at rpm	170 / 1,800-4,500	220 / 3,000-4,500	245 (Overboost: 280) / 1,900-5,800

Acceleration 0-100 km/h in s	10.3	8.9	6.8
Elasticity 80-120 km/h in 5th gear in s	10.4	9.9	6.4
Maximum speed in km/h	195	207	230
Fuel consumption in l/100 km combined cycle	4.9	5.9	7.5
CO2 emissions in g/km combined cycle	115-114*	136	174
Efficiency class	C-B*	D	F

Entry-level price in euros	16,390 (Edition)	17,380 (Color Edition)	24,395

Source: Opel

March 19, 2015

This is the Next Generation Kia Optima

Next Generation Kia Optima Sketch We have exclusively received the first sketches previewing the future Optima and you should admit that this car is simply beautiful. Like its predecessor, the first generation Optima that has debuted at the New York auto show in 2010, this Kia will be revealed at the same event, so we do expect to see it revealed on 1^st of April.

This model has done so much for the brand. First, it is the reason why Kia Motors became so popular, and secondly it has been company’s best-selling vehicle in the United States for three years in a row.

The design sketches reveal passionate forms and somehow obsessive remake of the famous sedan. But, what we have forgotten so far is the Sportspace concept that we have seen in Geneva. It definitely links to these teasers, although they represent a more aggressive and sporty car. The question is whether the new Optima will be a production version of this concept.

Well, what is visible from these sketches is pretty much the same as the Sportspace with the exception of the wheel arches that are more pronounced and it looks like that the sides are more sculpted. At last, also known for sure is that the future midsize sedan will be based on Hyundai’s Sonata platform, so it is possible that it will be equipped with the same engine range, the 2.0-liter and 1.6-liter turbocharged units as well as the 2.4-liter naturally aspirated one.

Source: Kia

March 19, 2015

Watch How Morgan Builds the Balvenie [VIDEO]

2015 Morgan Balvenie Promotional Car Front and Side View The Scottish Balvenie distillery, producing first class single malt Scotch whisky, has collaborated with Morgan. And this joint venture does not involve any alcohol-making. Both companies say that their partnership is based on the same values they share, specifically when it comes to craftsmanship and doing things the way they should. Take for example Morgan’s latest car, the Aero 8, and then have a sip from the Balvenie Scotch.

To go straight to the point, Balvenie commissioned a Morgan four-seat roadster that is going to make tour around the UK and deliver whiskey to customers. The video below tells the story of how this car was built car and all the details involved, so I urge you to watch it.

As it is visible from the pictures, the special promotion car is dressed in white coat, includes grey leather upholstery for the interior and Balvenie name on its side. It has room for four and enough horses that can make the deliveries happen quickly.

Under the hood of this special roadster sits Ford’s 3.7-liter V6 unit, which is coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox. The engine is capable of 280 horsepower (209 kW) and optimum torque of 380Nm (280 lb-ft). The maximum speed is measured at 140 mph (225 kph) and it can be achieved when the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in the spectacular 5.5 seconds. Now you see why there wouldn’t be an undelivered whiskey?

httpv://youtu.be/hRy6C8lprmE

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Morgan

March 18, 2015

Porsche 911 Turbo S Gets MCCHIP-DKR Three-Stage Treatment

MCCHIP-DKR is releasing its first project for the year. Better later than never, isn’t it? In particular, it is a three-stage program developed for the Porsche 911 Turbo S. So, obviously, the tuner was not satisfied with the characteristics of this car, especially with those regarding performance and it made this extensive program to give the 911 more horses. On one hand this is a great idea, but on the other … well, there is nothing I can thing of, so it is definitely a great idea.

First, we must start with car’s standard output, which is 560 HP (412 kW) and 700 Nm (517 lb-ft) of maximum torque. The original maximum power stands at 318 km/h (197 mph). Next, we have to mention some additional upgrades before discussing the three stage program. This Porsche has new KW coilovers and a special wrapping delivered by Breitung-Design.

Basically the first stage began with a software optimization only. The result is 600 HP (441 kW), 820 Nm (605 lb-ft) of maximum torque and V-max of 321 kmph (199 mph). Next, the stage two wasn’t achieved by the same means only, but there is also an additional Capristo sports exhaust system. The effect is 20 HP over the Stage 1, same torque and a very minimal increase of the maximum speed with only 1 kmph.

The top optimization of the 911 Turbo S is based on the previous two but adds professionally upgraded turbo charger. The end effect does not need a comment since it is 660 HP (485 kW), 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) and 328 kmph (203 mph) of maximum speed.

Source: MCCHIP-DKR

March 18, 2015

Jaguar XF Embarks on Dramatic High-Wire Journey [VIDEO]

2016 Jaguar XF has just been announced via a video and two images, one of which reveals its luxury interior. The short film says that on 24^th of March something involving the car will be happening. Precisely, the new XF will make a not very typical journey across London and this is great news, because we will see it a week earlier ahead of its official debut in New York.

Ok, let me tell you a secret now, this extraordinary drive will be something really spectacular. The company has collaborated with the stuntman Jim Dowdall, who we have seen in the latest Bond and Indiana Jones movies. He will perform the high-wire water crossing in the 2016 XF, making him world’s first to do that.

Precisely, he will drive across two 34mm-diameter wires high above water. The purpose of this is to show the lightweight and agile characteristics of the new model. And if you want to follow the happening, but you are not London-based, then there is good news for you, since everything will be streamed online at Jaguar’s official web page.

Also revealed by Jaguar is that the XF will be based on the new advanced aluminum-intensive architecture. While we wait for the car to make a market debut this fall, we are still eager to see the promised outstanding qualities in terms of technology, luxury and comfort.

Of course, we do expect to see some more of this car after its premiere in New York on 1^st of April. This is when we will get all of the technical details as well as a bunch of pictures. Stay tuned, because everything begins next Tuesday.

httpv://youtu.be/FRSOoK_NVVo

Video Source: YouTube

Source: Jaguar

March 18, 2015

What’s new from Scion? Have a Glimpse at iM Hatchback and iA Sedan

2015 NYIAS Scion iA Teaser In New York Scion will show two new models from the “i” specification, the iM five-door hatchback and the iA sedan. And if you wonder about the letter “i” in these cars, well, just have some imagination. For example it can stand for individuality, intriguing, inetersting, intelligent and (easy on customers’) income.

In addition, the “A” in the sedan stands for the accommodating trunk and the aggressive styling that are imbued in the car, while the “M” is nothing else but modern style and multi-faceted utilization.

As mentioned already the hatchback has five doors and judging from what was revealed so far it will offer optimum versatility, sporty features and looks, and hence a driving experience that is fun and dedicated. Although young people are not that keen on sedans, Scion said that the iA is design to appeal exactly this group of people.

Therefore, we expect to see it with exciting styling and engaging driving dynamics. Actually, knowing that this is a Scion car, there is no doubt that it will cover these requirements. What we forgot to tell you is that this model will be also more practical, so its users can benefit from a lot of characteristics.

The new Scions will be introduced in New York on 31^st of March. The cars are an example of the evolution of the brand, so we are really excited and can’t wait to see what they really stand for.

Source: Scion

March 18, 2015

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