Automobiles Review

Tag: Autocar

  • Volkswagen Golf R is the safest car on wet roads

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    Drivers in the Northern Hemisphere of the world now face winter, which always brings months of road challenges that include fog, ice, snow and rain. Most people will keep on driving even in these conditions so having a safe car for challenging roads is essential if you want to get from point A to point B with no problems at all. This is especially true if you own a performance car too.

    Choosing one such car is now a bit easier thanks to the efforts of the British automobile magazine Autocar. According to it, the safest wet road performance car is the Volkswagen Golf R. The result was achieved after extensive testing that included various other models such as the MINI Cooper, Audi RS4, Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, Range Rover Sport, Toyota GT86 and Nissan GT-R. The safety test included five separate challenges at a manufacturer test facility at MIRA Proving Ground. We should also say that the cars tested used tires chosen by the vehicle manufacturer.

    All cars underwent tests that included control over stopping from highway speeds of 70 mph (113 km/h), stability when accelerating, braking on ice-like conditions at lower speeds, level of lateral grip when cornering and precision around a circuit.

    VW’s four-wheel-drive Golf R, which costs GBP 31,970 and produces 296 bhp (300 HP/220 kW), performed the best across all five tests, with the rear-wheel-drive GBP 24,995, 197 bhp (200 HP/147 kW) Toyota GT86 the worst. Running the VW Golf R close was the GBP 88,400 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S with exception for the Lateral Grip tests where it’s rear-biased weight distribution unsettled its handling.

    “Driving conditions can become hugely challenging very quickly for drivers of sportier and higher performance vehicles. It is very easy to get caught out,” explains Chas Hallett, editor-in-chief of Autocar. “Advanced electronics certainly aid the driver, and winter tyres will improve grip, but drivers still need to drive within their limits and abilities, not the cars.”

    Source: Autocar

  • New Bugatti may be too fast to test

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    Bugatti’s new performance car and heir to the Bugatti Veyron has been said to be too fast to successfully test in real life.

    The still unnamed model will appear in 2016 and will likely have a top speed of 286 mph (460 km/h) with a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) acceleration time of just 2.3 seconds if correct computer simulations are to be trusted. The car will be based on a hybrid powertrain and will have the same quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine that you can find in the Veyron. The engine is capable of generating about 1500 bhp (1521 horsepower).

    This information comes in excess of what we currently have about the Bugatti Veyron, whose top speed of 268 mph (431 km/h) is already a challenge to prove due to limitations of its Michelin road tires. The problem with tires is that if technology has not advanced that far when the new car appears, the tires used may disintegrate well before reaching the vehicle top speed.

    Autocar road test editor Matt Prior said: “Even though aerodynamic drag increases at the square of speed, if you up the power enough, it’s entirely feasible that Bugatti could find another 18mph (29 km/h) for the taking in the Veyron’s successor. But we’re well into the realms of academia now. Making a road car that can do 286 mph (460 km/h) is one thing; making a road car do it on road tires is rather more difficult.”

    The new vehicle will have a carbon monocoque, like its predecessor and will have seats for two in a highly luxurious cabin that includes all latest connectivity technologies. The heavily revised powertrain receives electric assistance, while drive is channeled to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and multi-plate-clutch four-wheel drive system.

    The upcoming vehicle by Bugatti will be limited; no more than 450 units will be produced.

    Source: Bugatti

  • Fiat Indian New Year Awards

    Fiat India Automobile Limited turned a new leaf with the much awaited Linea winning the ‘Car of the year’ award by Autocar and ‘Midsize car of the year’ award by Autocar and Overdrive along with the Fiat 500 procuring the title of ‘Import of the year’ award by Overdrive. (more…)