82nd Geneva Motor Show – Page 2

MTM Volkswagen T500 and Audi Q3 at Geneva

MTM are going to be at Geneva and do they have a treat for us or what? Two treats in fact. The world these days is mad about SUV’s and MTM is listening carefully. That is why at the show, the custom house will feature an MTM Q3 2.0 TFSI Quattro baby SUV and … a not-much-of-an-SUV MTM T 500 2.5 TFSI 4motion which is, and there is no other way of saying this, basically a VW T5 van. But things start looking a bit different when closing in. The company has really made an effort in bringing the sport back to utility.

Both of these MTMs are patriotically painted in bold black, red and gold and the idea is to celebrate the kickoff of the European Football Championship season – “If you want to play in the top league, you better drive in the top league”, comments the MTM owner Roland Mayer.

We do not know what exactly happens underneath the hood, but MTM say that the power in the Q3 has been pumped from 170 bhp to 310 bhp. Another claim is that it only needs 6.1 seconds to get to the 100 km/h threshold and that the top speed is just bellow 250 km/h. The company also offers some exhaust pipes and a diffuser to complement all that power. Equally impressive are the four MTM Bimoto 20″ wheels, each wrapped in a 255/35 ZR 20 tire.

The MTM T 500 2.5 TFSI 4motion gets its power from a straight five that develops 472 bhp at 6,900 rpm. Alsp, at 4,100 rpm, the unit racks up a torque of 625 Nm which calls for an overhauled transmission. Top speed stands at 280 km/h (in a van!). Some reassuring tweaks on the suspension are also provided – 6-piston calipers at the front grab hold of the giant disks whenever needed, a KW Street Comfort coilover suspension tweaked by MTM is also there to keep you on the road. As a roundup, we have four 9×20 inch MTM Bimoto rims with 275/35 ZR 20 Michelin SuperSport tires on them.

Whichever of the two you might fancy, it will be ideal for a trip to the European Football Championship. Two PSUVs suited for true football fans.

Source: MTM

March 2, 2012

Volvo V40 Premiere at 2012 Geneva Motor Show

Good news from Vovlo – the Swedish company that brings us everyday road safety and stability. At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show a new model will be revealed. Called the V40, it will be targeting a niche that goes under the category of “Premium hatchback”. What that basically means is that the V40 is expected to pock some big boy heat underneath a practical and sensible body.

When it comes to engine choice, one can go subtle and sensible. I am talking about Volvo’s first sub-100g/km CO2 diesel engine. Alternatively a turbocharged T5 unit will offer top of the range performance in terms of speed – 254hp good for a sprint from 0 to 60mph in a time of 6.7 seconds. Or anything in between will do just as fine No matter what engine and transmission, the cars will always carry a stop/start module and a brake energy recharging system.

Being Swedish, the V40 can’t roll out of the factory without ticking some safety technology features. The car is constantly aware of pedestrians and will automatically stop if it has to. The second line of pedestrian safety is the pedestrian airbag. A Lane Keeping Aid will keep you from veering in other people’s way while a City Safety low-speed collision detector will prevent bumps and crashes actually that occur within the 31mph range.

“The all-new V40 is the most intelligent and safe Volvo model so far. All its features are designed around the driver, helping him or her stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations,” says Håkan Abrahamsson, Vehicle Line Director C Cars & V40 Vehicle Programme Manager. He adds: “With this class-leading safety package, including enhanced focus on pedestrian protection, the all-new V40 aims for a full star rating in the new, sharpened 2012 Euro NCAP safety tests.”

The company hopes to sell 90,000 V40 vehicles per year with as much as 85% of them going to the European markets. The debut is set for the Geneva Motor Show next week while sales are expected to start in May.

Source: Volvo

February 28, 2012

The Carlsson CK63 RS (CLS 63 AMG) at Geneva

It’s rare to see people expressing discontent from an AMG product, but just to be safe, German tuning house Carlsson have an ambitious project – The Carlsson CK63 RS. It is based on the current Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG but with a bigger bite, lower ride and a dash of exclusivity. Carlsson do mean business, for a performance bundled version of the CK63 RS is set to appear to the public at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The standard CLS 63 AMG with Performance package has a 5.5 V8 biturbo engine that feeds 557 BHP and 800 Nm of torque to the AMG Speedshift 7-speed sports gearbox. After Carlsson had finished working with it, that bar had been set even higher even higher, or so they claim – 652 BHP and one thousand Nm of torque. That is why, the Carlsson engineers also saw fit to instal an additional transmission oil cooling system. All this effort translates into a time of 4.1 seconds on the 60mph sprint. A very loud sprint if we may add. The exhaust system has been replaced by a tailor-made, multi-flow, complete stainless steel setup with downpipes, metal catalysts and front and rear silencers. Of course you can tone it down to become as silent as a gentle purr, thanks to the exhaust damper system controlled manually from the driving seat. But who would leave it like that?

Few would dare to modify the handling of a Performance package AMG but the newfound power calls for some tweaks – the front axle springs have been replaced with Carlsson springs with more progressive spring characteristics. Also as a consequence the ride is now 30 mm lower. The whole car sits on 1/10-type Carlsson wheels – 9 x 20” rims at the front and 10.5 x 20” at the back.

More personality is added when we look at the aerodynamic features of the Carlsson. A front spoiler and RS carbon spoiler lip decorate the nose while at the back we have a custom diffuser and a rear spoiler for greater downforce.

The interior of the CK63 RS can best be described as a blend of mocha-brown leather, brown Alcantara, carbon fiber, natural woods and more. The leather used is wet-dyed, providing the feeling of a fine leather glove and, because the finished product is 1/1.4 millimeters thick, it is also particularly durable. Other Carlsson highlights include the foot mats, door sill panels with blue, illuminated Carlsson lettering and door-locking pins made from polished aluminum. It’s not all upholstery though. We do not excel much in IT, but the Carlsson have fitted a ‘Viprinet Multichannel VPN Router 500’… which sounds fast. In fact it is. The company says that with this the RS will have a stable high-speed Internet connection even at high speeds.

Source: Carlsson

February 24, 2012

European Honda CR-V Prototype

Images have been released of the European CR-V Prototype which is due to make its debut on the 6^th of March. Its purpose is to show the future Honda way of design and style. This one will be the fourh generation of a successful CV-R family, that will go on sale this Autumn.

Differences with the previous model manifest themselves mainly at the front – a more “aggressive stance” thanks to a new fascia. The lower front bumper wraps smartly upward to show off the CR-V‘s SUVishness. It is also said that now it integrates more smoothly into the fascia thus improving aerodynamics. We, frankly, don’t remember the bumper of the last CR-V being dragged around, hanging by a thread. No word on engine bits or interior.

The Honda Press Conference will take place at 09.15 CET on Tuesday 6 March. Hopefully more information will be released there. For the time being we have a gallery in which you can look around.

Source: Honda

February 24, 2012

Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification

You know the Bentley Mulsanne, right? It has been the flagship Bentley for quite a while and now we have a fresh new version. It’s called the Mulliner Driving Specification and is here to keep the things afloat. Well… it will be here actually: the debut is set for the 82^nd Geneva Motor Show.

Highlighting the spec, are four 21-inch, light aluminum alloy wheels bolted in place with titanium fasteners. The overall finish on them comes in two forms: painted or polished. Together with the 265/40 ZR21 tires, the wheels grant the Bentley an agile and dynamic stance on the road.

There are also other smallish design touches such as the wing vents that take the shape of the emblematic “Flying B” symbol. There’s also an inscription on them that reads “Mulliner”. A whole new perforation process has been developed to make the inside of the car look like a diamond patterned sofa. The gear lever holds baseball-like lather stitches on its side. There’s a grippy, ‘coined’ surface on the metal interior door handles while the pedals are made of drilled alloy only. While the upper surface of the door sills is busy reading “Mulsanne”, their sides are available to display Mulliner treadplate plaques that seal this particular Bentley as a Driving Specification.

In spite of the old-school air vent pull knobs, there is a ‘sport’ setting on the rotary switch mounted next to the gearshift selector. It is a tiny reminder that this is not a 19^th glassware cabinet but a state of the art performance saloon. We have a 505 bhp, 6.75 liter V8 monstrosity under the hood which is good for a 5.1 second 60mph sprint run and a top speed of 184 mph. That power needs management and that’s why we also have a Drive Dynamics Control system which operates the suspension and steering. Now with a ‘sport’ mode on, the Mulsanne can take bends at high-speeds without breaking your back.

Partly irrelevant to the Mulliner Driving Spec. will be the addition of bottle cooler and sunroof options within the whole Mulsanne line. The cooler is integrated into the back seats and has space for two full-sized champagne bottles in upright position. It also comes with three hand-blown champagne flutes made exclusively for Bentley by the designer David Redman. All can be cleverly concealed when not in use.

Should you ever feel claustrophobic in a Mulsanne, which is unlikely, you can opt for the tilt-opening, tinted glass sunroof. It floods the cabin with light and gives an extra dimension of space, providing additional ventilation while avoiding the security risk of open windows.

Bentley Musanne Mulliner Driving Specification (2012)

Source: Bentley

February 23, 2012

Toyota FT-BH Concept

Toyota have released some teasers about their latest concept – the FT-Bh which actually means Future Toyota B-segment hybrid. It will be an ultralight supermini, built with clever materials and run by clever technology for the greater good of society.

It is said to weigh no more than 800 kg yet it will be a 5-door. So that leaves around 50 kg for all the other parts (Im not much good at maths). Anyway. One would expect it to be green considering the lightness and the hybrid genes inside and one would be right – 50% less CO2 emissions than a modern 5-door counterpart.

The FT-Bh will also make use of some industry friendly materials for its made. In other words, no animal lives will be sacrificed for the interior, no mahogany will be lacquered for the panels and no liquid gold paint will be wasted on the brake calipers. In fact even the drivetrain will be optimized, or more accurately – downsized.

The FT-Bh is scheduled for a reveal at the 82^nd Geneva Motor Show on the 6^th of March, early in the morning.

Source: Toyota

February 23, 2012

GTA Spano Ready to Go

The Spanish company GTA Motor hasn’t got much street cars to offer. Yet, it will again take part in the 82^nd edition of the Geneva Motor Show with the GTA Spano. This time, they say that the car is production ready and will be availble to customers late this year.

Only 99 models will be produced so expect highest levels of exclusivity. It will have its own V10 8.3 liter engine which develops the claimed 820 hp and 980 Nm of torque. A time for 0 to 100 km/h sprints – 2.9, Top speed – 350 km/h or so they say. The chassis is a carbon fiber/titanium/Kevlar mix which sounds really light … and expensive as well.

And if the engine is not a party piece enough, there’s also an innovative panoramic roof with integrated lighting and an opaqueness system. All very interesting stuff. Excited about the show now?

Source: GTA Motor

February 22, 2012

Tag: 82nd Geneva Motor Show