LOTUS EVORA S
The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus. READ MORE....
TOYOTA RACTIS
The Toyota Ractis is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese automakers Toyota and Kanto Auto Works. READ MORE...
LAMBORGHINI SESTO ELEMENTO 2011
The Lamborghini Sesto Elemento (literally "Sixth Element" in Italian) is a two-seater. READ MORE ...
PORSCHE CAYMAN 2011
The Porsche Cayman is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. READ MORE...
LOTUS ESPRIT 2013
The Lotus Esprit is a sports car that was built by Lotus in the United Kingdom. READ MORE...
Kamis, 21 Juli 2011
Renault Latitude 2011
Renault Laguna 2011
The regular production Renault passenger models are unrelated to the concept car of the same name, the Laguna, a two-seat roadster shown by the automaker during the European 1990 auto show circuit. The name was also previously used from 1973 to 1976 by Chevrolet for a top-of-the-line Chevelle model, the Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna. The first generation Renault Laguna was launched in December 1993 as replacement for the Renault 21, initially coming as a hatchback only. Late in 1995 it was introduced an estate version, known in some markets as the Laguna Sport Tourer, and replaced the 21-based Renault Savanna/Nevada.
Ferrari F430
Rabu, 20 Juli 2011
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
During 2009 Porsche made comprehensive changes to the 997 lineup which included small styling changes, increases in engine displacement across the board, the addition of gasoline direct injection and the introduction of the company's new "PDK" dual clutch transmission as well as other mechanical changes. As a result, the updated 997 models are faster, lighter and more fuel efficient than the outgoing versions and have somewhat better handling. In the case of the 997 Turbo, a comprehensively re-tuned all wheel drive system with an optional "torque vectoring" system was also a part of the upgrades package; in an October 2009 preliminary review, Car and Driver magazine estimated that when equipped with the PDK transmission, the updated Turbo should be capable of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in three (3.0) seconds flat. As of December 2009, the 911 GT2 was the only variant in the 997 lineup not to have received any changes or upgrades.
The 997 is the most commercially successful 911 of all time, having sold 100,000 units between its introduction in 2005 and July 2007. It has also received mostly positive reviews from the worldwide motoring press; even British motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson, a known detractor of Porsche vehicles, noted that the 997 will "make love to your fingertips and stir your soul."
Selasa, 19 Juli 2011
Citroën C4
A major selling-point of the C4 is its extensive use of technology. For example, the car features the "Lane Departure Warning System" (only in the top-of-the-range "Exclusive" model), which alerts the driver if he or she crosses a road marking without using the turn signals; directional headlights; perfume dispenser integrated into the ventilation system; translucent dashboard, transparent glass roof; ESP (Electronic Stability Program), and a fixed steering wheel hub which lets the driver operate several functions of the car without removing his or her hands from the wheel. The fixed hub also allows for the first production use of a "shaped" driver airbag. Because the hub maintains a constant position, the airbag can be optimally shaped to spread the load across the greatest possible area of the driver's body in a collision, thus reducing the chances of serious injury. In addition, the car features an innovative centrally mounted translucent LCD speedometer display that remains clearly visible in all lighting conditions.
Surprisingly, given the emphasis put on technology, the car's In-Car Entertainment, while well integrated into the car's information system via CAN Bus, is not DAB ready. MP3 playback is supported by the entry level audio system and high-end audio with double layer sound insulated windows and integrated navigation system is available as extra. In September 2007, a USB box accessory[5] (Ref: 9702.EZ) was released to enable full iPod connectivity with the standard RD4 radio.
The C4 does not feature Citroën's hydraulic suspension, which is reserved for higher class models, such as the C5 and C6. The Picasso version can get a pneumatic rear suspension.
Underneath, the C4 uses an identical mechanical design to the contemporary Peugeot 307. Interestingly, its underpinnings date back to the 1991 Citroën ZX, although it includes much more electronic technology than that and the Xsara that was produced between the ZX's demise and the C4's launch.
Senin, 18 Juli 2011
Citroën C5 facelift
The first generation C5 was the last Citroën developed under the chairmanship of Jacques Calvet (1982–1999), a period which saw the marque's historically distinctive design and engineering brand erode markedly.
The C5 had a further development of Citroën's hydropneumatic suspension, now called Hydractive 3. The major change with this system was the use of electronic sensors to replace the mechanical height correctors seen in all previous hydropneumatic cars. This allowed the suspension computer to automatically control ride height: at high speed the suspension is lowered to reduce drag and at low speeds on bumpy roads the ride height is raised. Manual control of ride height was retained, though it was overridden by the computer if the car was driven at an inappropriate speed for the selected height. Certain cars also featured the computer controlled ride stiffness seen on the Xantia and XM.
In a major break with Citroën tradition, the brakes and steering were no longer powered by the same hydraulic system as the suspension. It has been speculated that the primary driver for this was the cost of developing electronic brake force distribution for the system when the PSA Group already had an implementation for conventional brakes. Another factor may be the highly responsive nature of Citroën C5 brakes, which some have found hard to adjust to on other hydropneumatic cars, though it is felt by some to be superior. It can be scary for a C5 driver used to the instant reactions of an older hydropneumatic car to drive another vehicle and find an inch of pedal travel before any significant braking is achieved.
In 2004, the C5 underwent a major facelift (new front and rear ends; same centre section) to bring it into line with the look of the new Citroën C4. The liftback was lengthened from 4,618 mm (181.8 in) to 4,745 mm (186.8 in) and the station wagon from 4,755 mm (187.2 in) to 4,840 mm (190.6 in). Also this new version got swivelling directional headlights.
The Hydractive suspension improves ride quality and keeps the car leveled and can enable the car to drive on three wheels if one tire is flat. The suspension is derived from the Hydropneumatic suspension used in the 1950s Citroën DS. Variations in height using the Hydractive suspension range up to 15 mm (0.6 in) in the front and 11 mm (0.4 in) in the back.
The turbo power originates from two fixed turbochargers of identical size. Each of these can supply half the air input required to give the engine more power. Fuel mileage is 8.1 L/100 km (35 mpg-imp; 29 mpg-US) - this was received from city and highway driving.[citation needed] The side windows are laminated to reduce noise from passing cars.
Nissan X-Trail
The X-Trail is positioned below the truck-based Xterra and Pathfinder. The X-Trail was never offered by dealerships in the US. The first generation was available in Canada until it was replaced by the Rogue. However, both the Rogue and X-Trail are sold in Mexico. The Rogue shares the same platform as the second-generation X-Trail and is very similar to the Qashqai. The company currently offers a hydrogen fuel cell model named the X-Trail FCV on lease to businesses.
Available only in the Japanese market is the SR20VET that produces 206 kW (280 hp) and is used in the X-Trail GT. The Australian model is powered by a QR25DE 2.5 L 4-cylinder engine initially producing 132 kW (177 hp) From January 2006, the Australian-spec engine was detuned to 123 kW (169 hp). Also available is the QR20DE 4-cylinder engine, producing 103 kW (140 hp) or 110 kW (150 hp) with manual or automatic transmission. The biggest selling engine in the UK is the YD22DDTi, a 2.2 litre turbo-charged common-rail diesel. The X-Trail has had three model revisions, the Series 1 and Series 2 (using Nissan FF-S platform) and the Series 3 (using Nissan/Renault C platform). There were various cosmetic and engineering changes made between series 1 and 2 but the series 3 is all new despite a similar appearance with new engines apart from the 2.5L which has been retained.
Minggu, 17 Juli 2011
Venturi Volage
Hyundai i10
After the Santro/Atos Prime, Hyundai needed a model to replace it and started a hatchback project codenamed Hyundai PA. The car was to be manufactured in a new facility at Chennai, India. The i10 has a large gaping air-dam, pulled-back headlamps, chrome-lined grill, integrated clear lens fog lamps, a bonnet that has a clam shell hint and a rear window with an upswept kink.
The tailgate has a chrome-lined boot-release handle and an integrated roof spoiler on the top- end versions.
Overall length (3565 mm) and wheelbase (2380 mm) are identical to the Santro with slightly more interior space; Ergonomic design was intended to accommodate tall drivers and increasing rear knee room. The width has been increased (and front and rear track) by 70 mm (2.8 in) for more shoulder room. The height has been reduced by 40 mm (1.6 in). Boot space at 225 litres (7.9 cu ft) is significantly lower than that of Getz
Sabtu, 16 Juli 2011
Toyota Verso-S
The introduction of the Verso-S will mark the re-entry of Toyota into the European B-MPV segment. When it hits the market, the Verso-S will have the shortest overall length of any MPV in its class in Europe.[6]
The Verso-S will be available with a choice of two engines, a 1.33-liter gasoline unit or a 1.4-liter D-4D turbo diesel, both mated to a standard 6-speed manual gearbox. The gasoline engine may also be equipped with an optional, Multidrive S, continuously variable transmission, which features a 7-speed, sequential paddle shift mode. The petrol model delivers a combined fuel economy of 5.5 lt/100 km [42.8 mpg US] and CO2 emissions of 127 g/km, and the diesel model, 4.3 lt/100 km [54.7 mpg US] and 113 g/km respectively.Top Gear, the car magazine, reviewed the car and criticized it for its whiny engine and for unoriginality
Hyundai ix20
The Hyundai ix20 is a mini MPV produced by the South Korean automaker Hyundai Motors, having debuted at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.[2] The car uses the Hyundai i20 and Kia Soul subcompact platform. The ix20 employs styling, marketed by Hyundai as "Fluidic Sculpture design". This automobile is currently sold exclusively in Europe.
Jumat, 15 Juli 2011
Volkswagen Eos
The roof was designed and is built by OASys, a subsidiary of Webasto Germany. Prior to production, the Eos was shown as the Concept C concept car at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show — designed by a team headed by Peter Schreyer, Head of Volkswagen Design in Wolfsburg.[3] Other sources attribute the design of the Eos specifically to Slovenian Robert Lešnik.[1]
The production Eos, produced at the AutoEuropa plant in Portugal, was presented in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with the North American introduction at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January, 2006.
Unlike the Cabrio, which was a convertible version of the Golf hatchback, the Eos is a standalone model with all-new body panels, although it shares the platform and components from the Passat (Mark 6 (B6 now PQ46 platform) (2005–present)). The wheelbase matches the Golf Mk5 and Jetta.
Kamis, 14 Juli 2011
Nissan Townpod
With the Townpod concept Nissan is offering the chance of using proprietary as well as third-party sourced accessories so that customers can customize the interior specifications of their vehicle.
By doing so everyone can adapt the car to their individual needs or daily usage. For example a musician transporting its kit between gigs, a delicatessen proprietor distributing their wares or an architect carrying drawings to a client musician. The Townpod design features several familiar visual elements from other Nissan cars. The drivetrain featured in the concept car is the same zero-emission technology that is fitted on the Nissan Leaf. As in the Leaf, the charging points are located in the nose behind an automatically retracting cover.
The headlights on the Townpod serve as position markers when the blue "petals" are closed and headlights when open, while the external location of the pods eases basic maintenance.
Thanks to the position of the headlights, the Townpod gets a bonnet line which can recall the Nissan 370Z, which ends up in a blue tinted glass house, which resembles the Nissan Cube.
Saab ePower
Called the ePower, the long-roof Swede is the prototype for a test fleet of 70 vehicles set to be launched in 2012. The company is shooting for a range of around 200km thanks to a 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, though the range figure number is somewhat flexible due to the fact that it will be largely dependent on driving habits. Power is supplied by a 184bhp electric motor mated to a single-speed transmission.
With all of that power, Saab says the ePower will be able to get to 100kmh in around 8.5s. That’s not exactly slow by anyone’s measure. Top speed is a more than capable 150kmh, too.
The company says that its battery tech should allow the cells to survive up to 10 years of regular charge and discharge cycles, and that the ePower can be fully charged in as little as six hours using a “domestic mains” supply.
Mazda Shinari
The Japanese word shinari describes the powerful yet supple appearance of great resilient force when objects of high tensile strength, such as steel or bamboo, are twisted or bent. It also refers to the appearance of a person or animal as it flexes its body in preparation for a fast movement, and it is these images that form the basis for the name of this concept car.
With images of strength flowing across every panel and part, the Mazda SHINARI looks ready to leap at any second. This form incorporates the expression of a strong backbone running through the body, the sudden release of pent-up energy, and the interplay of beautiful, supple movements. The distinctive front fenders represent the further evolution of the prominent fenders introduced on the RX-8. They highlight the dynamic movement expressed in the sides of SHINARI, in a style that is both sporty and elegant. Together with the further three-dimensional sculpting of the front grille, the design proudly emphasizes the Mazda lineage. There is a powerful line of movement originating at the grille and continuing through the bonnet, fender, front lamp modules and bumper. Finally, an aluminum floating bar linking the grille with the headlights enhances the three-dimensional expression of speed.
Rabu, 13 Juli 2011
Bugatti EB110
The car uses a double wishbone suspension, with the chassis built by Aérospatiale, an aircraft company, and made from carbon fibre. Equipped with Gandini's famous lifting scissor doors, it has a glass engine cover that provides a view of the V12 engine along with a speed-sensitive electronic rear wing that can be raised at the flick of a switch. The shift-knob is placed closer to the driver so that less time is taken to shift. Five pre-production prototypes with aluminum chassis were built, followed by eight with composite chassis. Following these, it is believed that only 95 GT and 31 SS production models were constructed.
In 1992, a lighter and more powerful model with 603 hp (450 kW; 611 PS) at 8250 rpm, the EB110 SS (SuperSport) was introduced. This car is capable of 216 mph (348 km/h) and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds.
Early in 1994 Formula One driver Michael Schumacher purchased a banana-yellow EB 110 Super Sport, giving the company a great deal of publicity.[2] Derek Hill, son of American Formula One Champion Phil Hill, was one of the three drivers on a team that competed with an EB 110 in the United States at the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona.
Hard times hit the company in 1995 and, as result of chairman Artioli's over ambitious purchase of Lotus in addition to the company's quest to develop the EB112 four door car, the company was bankrupt. Dauer Racing GmbH of Nuremberg, Germany, bought the semi-finished EB 110 cars in the assembly plant plus the parts inventory through the bankruptcy trustee. The remaining chassis and a version of the engine were later developed by B Engineering into their Edonis sports car.
Despite later racing for Ferrari from 1996 onwards and a high profile collision with a truck the previous year (for which he blamed the braking system) Schumacher continued to retain the EB110SS. Schumacher sold the car in 2003 to Modena Motorsport, a Ferrari garage specialising in service, race preparation and sales of classic Ferraris in Germany.
Porsche Cayman 2011
After two years of development, the first model of the coupé to be released was the Cayman S (type 987120). Photographs and technical details were released in May 2005, but the public unveiling did not take place until the September Frankfurt Motor Show. The S suffix (for Sport[3] or Special[4]) indicated that this was a higher performance version of a then unreleased normal model. That model, the Cayman (987110), went on sale in July 2006. A motorsport-tuned model, the Cayman RS, is rumored to have been tested at the Nürburgring that same year.[5]
The Cayman coupé (project 987c) and the second generation Boxster convertible (project 987) shared the same mid-engined platform and many components, including the front fenders and trunk lid, side doors, headlights, taillights and forward portion of the interior. The design of the Cayman's body incorporates styling cues from two classic Porsches; the 550 Coupé and the 904 Coupé.[6][7] Unlike the Boxster, the Cayman has a large hatchback for access to luggage areas on top of and in the back of the engine cover. The suspension design is fundamentally the same as that of the Boxster, but features revised settings appropriate to the increase in chassis stiffness resulting from the Cayman's fixed roof.
The 3.4 litre flat-6 boxer engine (M97.21) in the first generation Cayman S was derived from the 3.2 litre powerplant (M96.26) that was used in the Boxster S, but featured cylinder heads from the Porsche 997 S's 3.8 litre motor (M97.01) which have the VarioCam Plus inlet valve timing and lift system. A less powerful but more fuel efficient version, the 2.7 litre M97.20, powered the base model. The use of these new powerplants exclusively in Caymans ended in MY 2007 when Porsche upgraded the Boxster (987310) and Boxster S (987320).[8]
A 5-speed manual transaxle is standard on the normal Cayman (G87.01), while a 6-speed manual (Getrag 466) is the default for the S (G87.21) and an option on the normal (A87.20). An electronically controlled 5-speed automatic transaxle (Tiptronic) was also available on the S (A87.21) and the non-S version (A87.02) (The 2009 models replaced this option with a seven-speed "PDK", Porsche's dual-clutch robotic manual transmission). Other options include active shock absorbers (ThyssenKrupp Bilstein GmbH's DampTronic, rebadged as PASM by Porsche), ceramic disc brakes (PCCB), xenon headlights (Hella's Bi-Xenon) and an electronically controlled sport mode (Sport Chrono Package
Lotus Esprit 2013
At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, along with four other cars in the company's lineup, Lotus unveiled a completely redesigned, new generation Esprit, scheduled to go into production in late 2012 and confirmed to go on sale in Spring of 2013.[31]
This new Esprit features a futuristic front-end with LED front daytime running lights and a center-mounted dual exhaust system in the rear. The interior also has a new futuristic, but minimal design which includes a digital instrument cluster, a sport steering wheel and carbon fiber trim scattered throughout the cabin. It has a length of 455 cm (179.1 inches), a width of 195 cm (76.8 inches) and a height of 125 cm (49.2 inches). Gross weight is stated to be around 1495 kg (3,296 lbs).
New developments as of January 20, 2011 per Automobile Magazine reports "in-house" motors are being developed now for the 2013 Esprit. The Lotus motor specs are mid-mounted, lighter, more compact, and a lot more fuel-efficient engine than the IS-F. Specifically stated, Lotus motors are being engineered and designed "in-house" for the Esprit with a V8 and a V6 model. The V-6 and the V-8 will be mirrored to the 90-degree cylinder angle. The V-8 displacement ranges from 4.0 to 4.8 liters, and the V-6 between 3.0 and 3.5 liters. Both naturally aspirated and twin-turbo variants are in the design phase, redlining at 9250 rpm. The 2013 Lotus V-8 shaves off 130-pounds than the 5.0-liter V-8 IS-F Lexus engine. Expect the 4.8-liter version to have some choices, 550 hp and 620 hp (Esprit R) along with a 3.2-liter V-6 at 350 hp (normally aspirated) or 500 hp (turbocharged). Power is fed to the rear wheels by a seven-speed, paddle-shift dual-clutch transmission.[32] Lotus claims a 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), making it one of the fastest production cars in the world. Lotus states that the Esprit will also be available with a Hybrid option, utilizing a KERS regenerative brake system derived from Formula One.