Archive for April, 2009
President Obama to announce Chrysler’s bankruptcy option tomorrow?
News agency Bloomberg has reported that U.S President Barrack Obama will announce tomorrow that Chrysler will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and that the struggling auto maker would still continue negotiating with Fiat. Unnamed sources also revealed that if that happens, the auto maker’s healthier assets will be sold to a new entity, and that 20% of the new company would be taken up by Fiat, 55% by the UAW and the balance by the U.S Government. Stay tuned for more news!
Latest Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video!
The sequel to the successful Transformers flick is expected to hit silver screens sometime in June or July this year, and the producers of the movie held a special screening recently which previewed the flick’s latest, never seen before trailer. Someone who attended the screening then decided to take this camcoder, and… well you should know the rest by now. Although the quality is uninspiring, but definitely good enough to tickle your taste buds and make you look forward to the official one that would be out soon! Continue reading to watch the video! Read the rest of this entry.
BMW Z2 project back on?
It was a couple of months ago since we first brought you news regarding BMW’s new Z2, which was set to be positioned as “budget-roadster” below the recently unveiled BMW Z4. Many details were tossed around, including that the baby Z4 might even be offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel forms. Then a while back, a German-motor magazine reported that an unnamed source within the company revealed that the auto-maker will not get the Z2 into production, at least for the next 10 years as BMW does not see it a viable option for now, so basically we thought the project was axed.
Now, yet again, the project is back on, according to BimmerFile that is. The web magazine strongly believes that the Z2 will be presented as a concept at the upcoming motor show in Frankfurt, sometime in September this year. Details that go along with their report include that the mini roadster will be based on the next generation 1-Series platform and it will feature a number of 4-cylinder powerplants including MINI’s 1.6 liter engines as well as 250HP 2.0 liter twin-turbo. With an expected weight of 1000 kilograms, the Z2 is also expected, as mentioned earlier, to be produced in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and diesel forms.
Other features include a manually operated soft-top, a speed-variable active front spoiler that automatically adjusts itself to offer better fuel economy and better downforce at high speeds and more. The BMW Z2 is also rumored to carry a US$ 30,000 price tag and will most probably hit dealerships by 2013. I think for now, its better to wait for the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Zenvo ST1: 1000HP Danish supercar video
We introduced the Zenvo ST1 a while back that supposedly boasts 1000bhp and killer looks to boot. Well I’m glad to see that nothing has changed from the original press photos of the car. The car is obviously not painted to a racy palette yet, but you can enjoy the video of Mikkel Thomsager from Danish magazine Bil beaming with pride at his nation’s achievements. Continue reading to watch the 3-minute long video. Read the rest of this entry.
Porsche Cayenne Hybrid S
Did you know that Mr Porsche was the first person to develop the official hybrid production vehicle all the way in the early 1900? Ferdinand Porsche as his mother used to call him, developed the Lohner-Porsche Mixte that used a 15 bhp four cylinder engine coupled with an 80 volt dynamo. The power generated either went to the wheel hub or the battery. Quite hard to believe, but few decades down the line Porsche has now teamed up with VW to produce their first Cayenne Hybrid.
I know what you’re thinking; oh there goes another ‘green’ car with excellent environmental credentials but goes as fast as a cat on a tricycle. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that the car was so good that Porsche has given it the revered S designation to signify its high performance.
This is because the 2,995cc works in tandem with the electric motor to produce 374bhp which propels the car from a standstill to 62mph in 6.8 secs. Obviously with such power, the power plant that runs the petrol engine will be somewhat of a brute as it is a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 with Direct Fuel Injection producing the 333bhp of the overall power output. Along with this an electric motor that produces the rest of the 52bhp either boosts the power of the already powerful petrol engine or can run on its own to move the car.
Fuel consumption is said to be somewhere along the lines of nine litres per 100km which is equal to CO2 emissions of less than 210g/km, supposedly 20% less than cayenne of the same power which would be the V8 model. Thus their marketing point is that it combines the performance of a V8 and fuel efficiency of a four cylinder to make the Cayenne Hybrid S.
The new Porsche Cayenne Hybrid S is expected to arrive late 2010.
McLaren walks free, no punishment for now
The team principal of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 outfit, Martin Whitmarsh met The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) earlier today in Paris to deliver his side of the recent “lie-gate” scandal. The scandal is made up by the misleading information that was passed to the race stewards by the Woking-based team at the 2009 season-opener in Melbourne, Australia regarding a passing maneuver (during the safety car) involving reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli.
The council, after considering Whitmarsh’s ‘open and honest way’ of addressing the issue, has revealed that the team will not be penalized in any way, as the team has also carried out its own action by letting the team’s then manager, Dave Ryan lose. However the team may face a three-race ban “if” further evidence regarding the matter emerges, or if there is another breach of the International Sporting Code. So for now, McLaren walks away with everything still intact. Continue reading to view the full statement which was released by the FIA. Read the rest of this entry.
Driven! Proton Exora 1.6 H-Line Automatic
The very, highly anticipated Proton Exora MPV was recently launched and thus far, it has taken the MPV market by storm, thanks to its attractive design, practical interior and most importantly, thanks to its extremely competitive price tag. The new 7-seater MPV is set to bring Malaysian auto maker Proton to a whole new level with this ground-up-new people mover. For now, there are two trim levels to choose from including the base M-Line as well as the top-of-line H-Line. It took 18 months for the auto maker to get the Exora on the road, and lets see how the Exora lives up to its high expectations.
Design.
The Proton Exora is a good looking MPV from what ever angle you look at it from, and Proton has done a pretty good job in this side of things, especially when the auto maker has to balance out high practicality and a competitive price point. At the front, its features a grille design that is inspired by the Proton Persona sedan and a V-shaped low slung hood with triangular-styled head lights. The lower bumper is flanked out with fog lamps, although this is only available on the range topping H-Line variant.
The side profile looks as good as the front, with a shoulder line that angles upwards towards the rear and a roof line that stabilizes towards the rear as well. Both the shoulder line and roof line help give the Exora a lowered look, which is something important, as the MPV would look taller otherwise. There is also a nice stroke along the door handles. More character is given with wheel arches that are slightly flared and character lines at the lower side of the car which are also consistent on the front and rear bumpers. The side mirrors also feature LED indicators and are also electrically operated. Continue reading for the rest of the report and to view an image gallery. We have also performed a fuel consumption test. Read the rest of this entry.
Ford Capri to make a comeback? YES!
Being a classic car nut, I tend to get excited when I hear about classic cars that are given a revival. This time, in a form of a rendered speculation, a new Capri is now rumored to make a comeback. Apparently Ford wants to go head to head with Volkswagen’s Scirocco, and it may do this by producing a new 2+2 performance coupe. Andrei Avarvarii has come up with an artist impression of the new Capri. It has a front design that features Ford’s current design language and at the back, it has a tail gate.
The new Capri is expected to feature a front wheel drive setup although the original one was rear wheel drive, if it goes into production that is. There may even be an RS model, with Ford’s current 300HP found in the Ford Focus RS. If it goes into production, we can probably see it by 2012. Rumor also has it that Ford will present a concept version at the upcoming 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show later this year. The original Ford Capri was offered as an European substitute of the Ford Mustang. The Mk1 Capri’s are desirable classics right now, thanks to its sweet “coupe-ish” design. Continue reading to view an image of the rear.
Source: AutoExpress Read the rest of this entry.
