Old car forum posts (merged)

[Christophe Berton]

New Griffin logo to debut on Vauxhall Insignia

The Griffin, a mythical half-eagle, half-lion beast, has been the face of Vauxhall for the better part of the past century. In its new guise, Vauxhall hopes logo will reflect its renewed focus on fresh design.

Recent redesigns of the Astra and Corsa and the upcoming all-new Insignia are the images Vauxhall wants to keep in buyers’ minds. The new logo is designed to capture the essence of these new cars and help the public see the company as it sees itself: modern, fresh and inspired. Nevertheless, it adheres to tradition by incorporating the same elements as previous logos.
The new badge will make its retail debut on the nose of the new Insignia, due for a public unveiling at the British International Motor Show in July. After that, all new Vauxhalls will roll out of the factory wearing the logo.

 

[Yves Maex]

Looks cool but the car if you want to buy the normal car, not the race version it's fwd. This one i expect to be rwd

 

[Christophe Berton]

Focus RS spotted on track

Don't be fooled by the disguise – this previous-generation Focus is the latest mule for the scorching new Focus RS, due next spring for around £25,000.

Our spies caught the hot hatch putting in some blistering laps around a test track. And this shot proves that the RS is in for some serious aerodynamic treatment. The untidy masking at the front suggests Ford is planning to add a sizeable spoiler to help keep the RS sticking to the asphalt – and it’s the same story at the rear. Rigid, low suspension and beefy brakes provide sharp handling, while the 280bhp 2.5-litre turbo engine will deliver a 0-60mph time of around five seconds.

 

[Christophe Berton]

Subaru and Toyota join forces

It’s back to basics for Toyota and Subaru! The two Japanese giants have joined forces to build a compact, stripped out rear-wheel drive sportscar.

Set to go head-to-head with stylish rivals such as the forthcoming VW Scirocco, the new coupe will be focussed on providing driving thrills.

To keep costs down both versions will be based on current Impreza underpinnings, although the wheelbase is likely to be shortened to improve agility. Both models will get Subaru’s familiar boxer engine.

Despite sharing many common components, each will get a different nose and tail treatment.

Also in the pipeline is a scorching four-wheel drive version. Set to use the Impreza WRX’s turbocharged 2.5-litre motor, it promises to offer up blistering performance.

Company bosses also revealed that they would also collaborate on future small cars. Initially Toyota will supply rebadged motors for Subaru, which already has a deal with Daihatsu to sell its Sirion city car as the Justy.

The new plans come on the back of Toyota’s announcement that it will buy a 17 percent stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, parent company of Subaru.

Expect to see the first jointly developed superminis arrive in 2010, with the sporty two-seater arriving a year later.

 

[Christophe Berton]

LR celebrates its 60th anniversary at 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed!

Land Rover will be celebrating its 60th anniversary as the featured marque at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed from July 11-13.

Land Rover, in conjunction with Gerry Juddah, will create an eye-catching automotive sculpture in front of Goodwood House which will uniquely showcase the vehicles' supreme breadth of capability. The impressive structure will incorporate an original 1948 Land Rover, a selection of vehicles from the Company's model range, finished with the acclaimed LRX concept cross-coupe – a bold evolution of Land Rover design that signals the brand's shift into new areas of the market.

"Land Rover represents our British-inspired Festival theme perfectly with a true pioneering spirit and an enviable global reputation," said Lord March. "This year's Central Feature will celebrate a significant landmark anniversary for one of the world’s most revered car marques, and will be one of the biggest and most memorable displays to date."

Land Rover will also showcase the special edition Defender SVX, launched to mark the anniversary. The SVX – the most stylish and feature-packed version that Land Rover has ever produced – still bears a strong visual resemblance to its 1948 predecessor, but inside the SVX models boast satellite navigation, Recaro seats and iPod compatibility.

The Terrapod and mini-terrapod will also be available for those who want to test out the off-road capability of Land Rover's key products, and proceeds will go to the British Red Cross.

(thelandroverchronicles)

 

[Christophe Berton]

Lamborghini looks past the U.S and Europe

Lamborghini is spreading its wings and plans to focus on markets other than its two main sources of customers, Europe and North America. The supercar brand set records for sales in 2007 and doubled profit levels from the year before but if it hopes to continue this success it will need to look past its two traditional cash-cows.

The U.S. and Europe currently accounts for about 80% of sales but Lamborghini would prefer this to be close to 66%. Speaking with AutoTelegraaf recently, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said production are likely to increase in coming years and the additional output will be sent to continents other than Europe and the U.S. Some of Lamborghini most important targets are China, Russia and increasingly India.
Lamborghini produced over 2,500 units last year and next year should see production rise by just 5%. This is mostly due to capacity limits at the Sant’Agata plant. Winkelmann revealed the plant will undergo a radical change in coming years to help boost production dramatically. Lamborghini’s arch-rival Ferrari, meanwhile, is selling nearly triple these figures.
One thing that will never change, Winkelmann explains, is the long waits and limited production. Ensuring Lamborghinis will always remain exclusive, the number of cars built each year will continue to be less than the amount demanded by customers.

Lamborghini LP560-4

(motorauthority)

 

[Christophe Berton]

Limited edition Seat Leon ‘Copa’

Seat has released details about its latest special edition based on its popular Leon, a new 285hp version dubbed the ‘Copa’. The new addition will be built in an extremely limited run of just 55 units and each will be priced from €38,500.

The Leon Copa still relies on VW Group’s proven 2.0L FSI four-cylinder petrol engine, which in the new Seat delivers a peak output of 285hp (210kW) and 360Nm (265lb-ft) of torque. This is enough to see the car accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 5.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 254km/h. It also means this is the most powerful Leon ever produced by Seat.
Inside, the car gets leather clad sports bucket seats, aluminum pedals and a sports steering wheel and gear knob.
Last month Seat also revealed its FR550 Leon, a new performance version inspired by the diesel-powered BTCC Leon race car. Like Copa, the FR550 also features a turbocharged engine and a sports themed interior.

 

[Christophe Berton]

Update: Less than 24 hours after the release of an official teaser, new images of Caterham’s latest R500 Superlight have been revealed showing the final design of the upcoming roadster. The R500 is expected to be powered by a 263hp 2.0L Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine with redline in excess of 8,500rpm. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a six speed sequential box and is controlled with a new launch control system.

 

[Trebor901]

As long as they take away some of the ST styling and replace it with some beefier parts, then this car will be great.

 

[Christophe Berton]

Caterham has finally revealed the whole story on its new R500 Superlight, and trackday enthusiasts will be salivating to get their hands on one if it drives like its stat sheet reads. Playing up the strengths of the Lotus Seven on which it’s based, the newest Caterham brings a balanced mix of power and handling to the table.

Tipping the scales at just 506kg and pumping 263hp to the rear wheels via a 2.0L Duratec four-pot mill, the R500 Superlight is super quick. Blasting from 0-60mph in just 2.88 seconds, a sequential-shift six-speed gearbox is available as an option to push your racing dreams even closer to reality. With a power-to-weight ratio of 520hp/tonne the R500 Superlight will keep right on going past 60mph to 150mph top speed.
And when it’s time to shut it down for that hairpin up ahead, the massive stopping power and fade resistance provided by its four-wheel four-pot ventilated discs will keep the smiles flowing while you strain against the harnesses under deceleration.
In an effort to shave every ounce possible from the Superlight, Caterham has even fitted a carbon fiber wind deflector, which is detachable to save even more weight, and a carbon-kevlar seats, which sacrifice nothing in safety yet weigh considerably less than their more commonly-built brethren. No expense has been spared to cut the weight of the R500, and it shows in carbon, kevlar and other bespoke bits all about the vehicle.
Sticky Avon CR500 race tires and a suspension developed to be as aero as it is road-holding with ovalized wishbones and fully adjustable dampers mean corner-carving will be the R500’s raison d’etre once you get past the sheer straight-line insanity.
Those who just can’t wait to get into one don’t have to - it’s on sale now in the UK starting at £36,995 (US$72,900).


Caterham R500 Superlight

 

[Christophe Berton]

Volkswagen Golf GTI Pirelli Edition

If you’re the type that can’t get enough of special UK-edition Volkswagens, the Golf GTI [COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif][COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]Pirelli[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] is just the fix you’re looking for. Bringing back the GTI Pirelli edition 25 years after it first hit the UK, the new model gets almost all of the features of the 1,500 unit limited-run Golf GTI Edition 30 from early 2007, plus the goodness of Pirelli branding inside and out.

Zero to sixty times squeeze down to just 6.8 seconds from 7.2 seconds thanks to a 30hp bump from stock, bringing the 2.0L TFSI engine up to 230hp. The extra grunt gives a little more top-end as well, the [COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif][COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]speedometer[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] wrapping around to 152mph instead of the standard 146mph.
The interior gets a high-contrast black and yellow themed interior with plenty of Pirelli badging to remind the occupants exactly what sort of Golf they’re riding in. The seats are half-covered in leather and feature tire-tread designs down their middles.
Eighteen-inch alloy wheels swell to fill the wells. Wrapped in 225/40R18 Pirelli P-Zeros - what else would you expect? - this special edition Golf should stick as well as it goes. Custom bodywork, including the front splitter, side skirts and [COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif][COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]rear [/FONT][COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]bumper[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] all get body-colored treatment. Tinted rear lamp lenses and windows add to the custom look.
Prices range from £22,555 (US$44,500) for a six-speed manual-equipped three-door on up to £24,385 (US$48,040) for the five-door fitted with a six-speed [COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif][COLOR=#000032! important][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]DSG[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR].

 

[Jacco Cornelissen]

What a Beauti

 

[Christophe Berton]

Jaguar XK



The waiting is almost over! Jaguar is set to return to its roots with a very special performance evolution of the new XK.
Unveiled as a concept at the Geneva Motor Show, the car is promising to take the Jaguar sportscar experience to a whole new level, thanks to lightweight design and a 412bhp evolution of the firm's 4.2-litre supercharged engine.
Firmer springs, special brakes and thicker anti roll bars promise to ensure handling is up to scratch... And with a lower ride height and wider wheels the car promises to deliver impressive mid corner grip.
Tipped to go on sale in summer, priced from £75,000 just 200 examples of the newcomer will be built, with only 50 of those available in the UK. However, collectors are being urged to sign up for the car quickly, as interest in the car has already been strong.

 

[Christophe Berton]

Fresh Look For Land Rover Discovery

Official pictures of the facelifted Land Rover Discovery 3

It's Official! Auto Express can reveal the first pictures of Land Rover's new look Discovery.

Set to make its public debut at the London Motor Show in July the car will go on sale in August, priced from £29,950.


An evolution, rather than revolution in design, the newcomer gets a re-profiled front bumper, revised rear bumper and body coloured wheel arches.
The distinctive two-piece tailgate now comes with body coloured tailgate lift handle and the attention to detail continues with the revised 'tungsten' coloured side vents and door handles.
New 19-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels and three new exterior metallic paint colours – Santorini Black, Galway Green and Bournville will also be offered, while inside interior upgrades include a new ‘almond’ trim colour and an updated Bluetooth system.

 

[Christophe Berton]

New BMW internal combustion engine cleans air

BMW has unveiled a new internal combustion engine design that not only produces near zero emissions, but also absorbs and burns ambient air pollutants. The ultra-clean engine debuts in the new mono-fuel Hydrogen 7 saloon and is on display at this week’s World Congress meeting in Detroit.

Based on the original BMW Hydrogen 7 bi-fuel version (petrol and hydrogen), the new mono-fuel vehicle’s internal combustion engine is optimized to run solely on hydrogen and delivers the same performance, comfort, and safety as a regular production BMW 7 Series plus better mileage than its predecessor.
Since the consumed hydrogen has no carbon, the engine itself would produce no CO2, hydrocarbons, or other pollutants. However, the existing pollutants in the surrounding air are consumed by the engine as well as small amounts of lubricating oil. After the burn process there are virtually zero exhaust emissions. In fact, according to BMW the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe was actually cleaner than the ambient air going in.
BMW claims hydrogen is the most logical energy carrier of the future for three reasons. First, it has no carbon and therefore hydrogen combustion generates no CO2, hydrocarbons and other pollutants. Second, it can be produced using renewable, clean technologies like solar, wind, geothermal, and bio-processes. And lastly, it can be produced in stable areas of the globe as necessary for energy security.
The Hydrogen 7 mono-fuel is a demonstration production vehicle, not a prototype, and was created to showcase the clean energy potential and feasibility of a hydrogen internal combustion engine.

 

[Christophe Berton]

[Video] Aston Martin DBS on location in Bond 22

Aston Martin announced as far back as December that James Bond would once again drive the new DBS super-sports car in the latest 007 flick, the oddly named Quantum of Solace, and now we have a glimpse of the actual show car as it’s run through one of its scenes. This latest video shows some grainy footage of the DBS doing some shots for the upcoming film, and the sound of its beautiful V12 almost allows us to forgive the terrible picture quality. The DBS isn’t the only car worth keeping an eye in the new film. The next-gen Ford Ka will also make an appearance in the movie and you can see some actual footage of it by clicking here.

 

[Christophe Berton]

[Video] Bug vs. F3000

 

[Christophe Berton]

[Video] Cars and coffee

 

[Christophe Berton]

[Video] Driving the Audi R8 V12 TDI supercar

Whether or not [FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]Audi[/FONT][/FONT] will in fact build a V12-powered R8 TDI diesel supercar is still up in the air but a handful of journalists from around the world have been fortunate enough to drive the concept version. Executives plan to make a final decision for production by the middle of the year after all considerations concerning the economy and market forces are taken into account.

One of the biggest hurdles the [FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, Helve, Sans-serif]R8[/FONT][/FONT] V12 TDI faces is the fact that Audi has plans to launch a new V10 RS-R8 flagship. Considering the niche status of both cars it doesn’t make sense for Audi to separately develop and launch two different range-topping R8 models. For now the closest thing we have to seeing the real thing on the road is the driving video from our colleagues at Sweden’s Auto Motor and Sport

View the video

 

[Christophe Berton]

[Spy video] 2010 BMW Z4 high-speed testing

BMW’s next-generation Z4 roadster is due to arrive next year as a 2010 model, and contrary to numerous reports the new model will grow in both size and price. As revealed in this latest spy video from the Nurburging, the new car will sport a similar shape to the current Z4 but will feature a new folding hardtop in lieu of the current fabric roof.

For BMW, the benefits of the folding hardtop (security and reliability) outweighed the disadvantages of increased weight and less trunk space. The decision was also made because of competition from Mercedes’ SLK and Mazda’s new MX5/Miata, both of which come standard with hardtop roofs.
Although styling details are being kept closely guarded, the new car is expected to feature styling derived from the CS concept including a wider and more pronounced grille and larger intakes up front. A long hood and a short rear decklid remain but the previous car’s circular taillights have been swapped with units that appear similar to those on the larger 6-series with rows of LED detailing.
The engine lineup should include both twin-turbo and naturally-aspirated straight six engines, although there could be an entry-level model in Europe with a four-cylinder mill, while the flagship M Roadster is likely to get a brand new high-performance turbo six with around 350hp. This is to ensure the M-spec Z4 doesn’t step on the toes of the M3.