Smart's Forvision Conceptualizes the Next-Generation of the Fortwo

Daimler's Smart unit will be represented at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September by a new concept study named Forvision that does two things for the brand: it previews the new design direction for the Fortwo and it hints at the technology being readied for the firm's future models.

The Forvision is Smart's second concept model after the sportier, roofless Forspeed that debuted in Geneva this past March to feature the brand's new styling language that brings the original Fortwo's design into the 21st century.

Smart worked together with BASF, the world's largest chemical company, for the development of several advanced technologies used on the Forvision.

Read more »

Read More

Missed Opportunities Warehouse: Bizarre New Ad for Chevy Europe

In the same warehouse where the Ark of the Covenant is purportedly stored, all of the world’s missed opportunities are held in a sort of limbo, no doubt waiting for sweet release at the hands of Irina Spalko.

What you may not realise until the last twenty seconds (assuming you’re seeing this ad for the first time and didn’t look at the title of this post) is that it’s a TV commercial for Chevrolet’s European arm.

Read more »

Read More

Refreshed 2012 Honda Pilot Revealed in Detail

After a bit of a tease in late July, it's time for Honda to detail the changes on its 2012 Pilot SUV that has received a mild facelift as well as some mechanical and equipment upgrades.

So what’s new? Let’s start with the exterior. Up front, the most evident change is a new and more "politically correct" grille with a three-bar horizontal design that replaces the letter-box style six-sided grille insert.

The reconfigured headlights and turn signals, a new front air dam and optimized strakes in front of the wheels that improve aerodynamics, along with the fresh alloy wheel designs in sizes 17- or 18-inches round off the tweaks on the outside.

Read more »

Read More

New Chevy Camaro Rulz the Streets and…Facebook

Chevrolet’s Camaro was the best-selling sports car in the US in 2010 stealing the crown from the Ford Mustang despite the fact that, unlike its longtime nemesis, General Motors' pony car was available only as a coupe.

The launch of the convertible version in early 2011 extended its lead: in the first eight months of the year, the Camaro looks set to outperform the Mustang by more than 10,000 units according to General Motors' data.

Read more »

Read More

Abarth to Unleash Punto SuperSport and two Special Editions of the 500 in Franfkurt

The Fiat Group’s Abarth division will display three “specialties” based on the firm's Punto supermini, the 500 and 500C softop models at September's Frankfurt Motor Show.

First up is the Abarth Punto SuperSport featuring a “Grigio Campovolo” two-tone color scheme with silver bodywork and a matte black bonnet and roof, along with “SuperSport” decals on the side, the tailgate and the mirrors, plus a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with red brake calipers.

Read more »

Read More

New Report Seeks to Answer the Question, “Why do Accidents Happen?”

If there are two questions that everyone from police to policy makers have asked over the last one hundred or so years of motoring, it’s these: “How do accidents happen?” and “How can we stop them from happening?”

With regards to the first, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK has analysed some 700,000 fatal road accidents that occurred over a four year period between 2005 and 2009.

Their so-called Licensed to Skill report aims to identify the leading causes of automotive accidents in the UK, the results of which may surprise you. License to Skill project manager Neil Greig explains:

Read more »

Read More

Lancia Rolls Out New Thema at 68th Venice International Film Festival [Video + Photos]

The Fiat Group may have forced Lancia to give up on the art of…making cars, but the Italian company is trying to compensate by mastering the art of…promotion.

The Italian firm's new flagship model, the Chrysler 300-sourced Thema, is making a special appearance at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, of which Lancia is the main sponsor for the seventh year running.

Read more »

Read More

NISMO-developed GT-R Makes its Debut in GT3 Racing Series

Nissan’s GT-R GT3 entered its maiden race in the fourth round of the Blancpain Endurance Series. Developed by Nissan's tuning and racing division, NISMO, and JR Motorsports, the GT-R competes in the GT3 series which includes production-based models such as Audi's R8, the Porsche 911 and the McLaren MP4-12C. Read more »

Read More

Video: A Very, Very Close Call for Biker

A motorcycle ride almost turned deadly for a biker and his passenger when an oncoming pickup truck literally passed inches away– if not touching the man's arm.

It all happens so fast that you will probably miss it the first time you view the video (freeze 12 seconds into the clip to watch the truck go by). Watch it for yourself in the video after the break.

Read more »

Read More

Lotus to Unveil 3 New Models in Frankfurt in Addition to the Production Evora GTE Special

Lotus is gearing up for the largest and most important automotive event of the year that takes place in Frankfurt next month with the presentation of three brand-new models, one special edition version and two new options for its current lineup.

The British company announced that one of the new models is the Elise S that replaces the Elise SC with a more capable 1.8-liter supercharged engine delivering 220-horsepower, while also returning lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Read more »

Read More

Diesel-Powered Porsche Panamera Heads to Frankfurt for its Public Debut

Understandably, all eyes at Porsche's Frankfurt auto show stand will be turned towards the spanking new 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupes, but the Germans will also celebrate the first public outing of their diesel-powered Panamera, details of which were announced earlier this year.

The most fuel-efficient variant of the Panamera sports sedan to date is fitted with an Audi-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 common-rail diesel pumping out 250-horsepowerand and a brawny maximum torque of 550Nm (406 lb-ft). Power is channeled to the rear wheels through an eight-speed auto.

Read more »

Read More

BMW Joins Skynet’s Army with Ultimate…Self-Driving Machine

Dr. Nico Kampchen is driving on the A9 motorway from Munich to Nuremberg, or rather, he is trying to since, as usual, there is a lot of traffic. However, unlike other drivers around him, he isn’t stressed one bit.

While it could be because he seated inside the soothing cabin of BMW’s new 5-Series, it’s not. Dr Kampchen is conspicuously calm because his car is actually driving itself, accelerating, braking and even overtaking while the driver simply monitors the situation.

Read more »

Read More

Jeep Swallowed by Sinkhole after Hitting a Fire Hydrant [Videos]

A 35-year old man, who has not been named, made news in Boston after he was involved in an odd accident that set off a chain of events that eventually led to a…sinkhole swallowing his Jeep Patriot.

According to local reports, the accident took place on Lowell Street in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning at around 6:30 am when the silver Jeep smashed into a telephone pole and then rebounded into a fire hydrant, which cracked and started flooding the surrounding area with water.

Read more »

Read More

Mazda Exec Says New CX-5 will Reach U.S. Shores in Early 2012 with Prices Starting from Around $20k,

It won't be long before we get our first intimate taste of the all-new Mazda CX-5 compact SUV at its world premiere in Frankfurt, but we now have some interesting news about the North American variant, courtesy of Hideaki Tanaka, manager of the CX-5 program.

During the first press test drive event of a pre-production model, Tanaka told Autonews that the CX-5 will arrive in the States early next year, adding that while Mazda has not finalized pricing and packaging, it will likely carry a base MSRP of around $20,000, close to $3,000 less than the larger CX-7 ($22,785 with delivery).

Read more »

Read More

McLaren Announces New Special Operations Customizing Division [with Video]

If you are one of the few lucky people in this world to be able afford an MP4-12C, but you want the supercar to differ from the one parked in the garage of your obviously wealthy neighbor, the new Special Operations division of McLaren Automotive has a solution.

The new division, which was announced at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show, aims to create bespoke versions in order to satisfy customer needs for differentiation.

Read more »

Read More

Report: Fiat Group Mulling to Build Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUVs in the U.S. Instead of Italy

If there's one car company that's notorious for making promises and/or premature announcements on decisions only to have the projects cancelled, delayed, altered, or even postponed for years (Alfa Romeo's return to the U.S. is a typical example), it's the Fiat Group.

In late 2010, the Italian company that also controls the Chrysler Group, revealed plans to update its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, in order to produce larger segment passenger cars and SUVs for the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands.

Less than a year after the announcement, Bloomberg is now reporting that Fiat is considering moving planned production of the upcoming Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUV models from Turin to a factory in North America, due to the strengthening euro against the dollar.

Read more »

Read More

Subaru Continues Slow Striptease of Impreza-Based XV Crossover

The slow drumbeat carries on in advance of the official world premiere of the new 2012 Subaru XV crossover at next month's Frankfurt auto show, with the latest teaser photo providing us an unobstructed view of hatchback model's rear and side profile.

The Impreza-based XV, which could make it into North America as a replacement to the Impreza Sport Outback, was displayed as a concept model at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year.

Read more »

Read More

A Tail of One Civic: Honda Releases Official Picture of all-new European Hatchback

Honda has already provided us with a lot of information on the European market 2012 Civic that will be revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in about two weeks' time. But today, the Japanese carmaker released the first picture of the actual production car.

The cropped teaser photo shows the hatchback model's tailgate and rear lights, which appear to follow a similar styling theme to the U.S. market Accord Crosstour.

Read more »

Read More

Citroën to Bring Complete Lineup of DS Models to Frankfurt Including Final Production Version of DS5

It's show time for Citroën that is getting ready to display the complete DS line for the first time in Europe at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Unless the French automaker is hiding a surprise under the hat, the company's star attraction will be the final production version of the DS5, which will be making its first appearance on European soil after its debut in showcar trim at this year's Shanghai auto show.

Read more »

Read More

Volvo and Siemens Form Partnership for Electric Vehicle Development

Volvo Car Corporation and Siemens, Europe's largest engineering company, will join forces for the development of electric vehicles through an extensive strategic cooperation.

The partnership between the two companies will focus on electric drive technology, power electronics, charging technology and the integration of all those systems in Volvo’s existing C30 Electric project.

Read more »

Read More

Land Rover Previews the Future of the Defender with Frankfurt-Bound DC100 Concept

The Land Rover Defender is without doubt, one of the most renowned and recognizable off-road models in the world, which makes designing a replacement model an extremely challenging task, to say the least.

But the British automaker, which is now under the control of India's Tata Motors, believes it's time to move on and prepare fans of the vehicle and consumers alike for the next generation of its iconic Defender with the presentation of the DC100 concept that will bow in Frankfurt next month.

Read more »

Read More

Official: New 2013 Audi S8 gets 4.0-liter Twin-Turbo V8 with 520-Horses

Audi's third and final "S" model heading to the Frankfurt Motor Show is the luxurious S8 that will be launched on the market along with the S6 and S7 Sportback in the spring of 2012.

As it holds the title of being the 'Big Daddy' of Audi's S range, it was only appropriate that the S8 receive a more powerful version of the newly revealed 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine than on the S6 and S7 models.

Read more »

Read More

Frankfurt Show Preview: New Audi S6 and S6 Avant

Joining the brand-new S7 Sportback in its world premiere at next month's Frankfurt motor show will be the latest iterations of Audi's S6 saloon and Avant models.

If you've already read the story on the S7, then you won't be surprised to learn that both the S6 and S6 Avant pack the same 4.0-liter TFSI twin-turbocharged V8 with 420-horses and a constant 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of torque from 1,400 to 5,300 rpm, which replaces the naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 of the previous model.

Read more »

Read More

Audi Reveals New S7 Sportback with 420HP Bi-Turbo V8

When the doors open to the 64th IAA International Motor Show on the September 13, Audi will hold the world premiere of the all-new S7 Sportback.

The most potent member of the A7 Sportback family to date debuts a new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged TFSI V8 engine that will also find its way under the hood of a variety of VW Group models including Audi's own S6 and even Bentley's Continental series.

Read more »

Read More

Frankfurt Preview: Ford Evos Concept Reveals Brand’s New Design Language [73 Photos]

Ford has gone ahead and revealed the Evos concept, which it claims, premieres the brand’s “first truly new global design language” developed under the One Ford product plan. Now, haven't we heard that before? If “New Edge” and “Kinetic Design” ring any bells, the answer to that question is yes…

According to automaker, the Evos' signature styling will form the basis for the next generation of Ford cars, minivans and crossovers, with the first actual production car to feature the new design language set to arrive in the market in 2012.

Read more »

Read More

News: Ferrari 458 Spider: the world’s first mid-rear engined berlinetta equipped with a retractable hard top

Maranello, 23rd August – The new 458 Spider joins the 458 Italia, widening the range of Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s and offering the same uncompromising technological solutions, handling and performance in a refined open-top configuration. It is equipped with a Ferrari patented, fully retractable hard top, a world first for a sports car with this lay-out.

The 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s naturally-aspirated, direct-injection 4.5 litre V8 which was nominated as the 2011 International Engine of the Year for its engineering excellence in terms of driveability, performance, economy and refinement. The power is transferred to the road by Ferrari’s class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics.

Certain of the car’s features, such as its accelerator pedal mapping and the damping of the multilink suspension, have been calibrated to guarantee maximum sportiness and absolute driving pleasure with the top down, in line with Maranello’s exclusive spider tradition. Even the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.

Entirely in aluminium, the hard-top solution adopted for the 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car. The small space needed to house the roof enables the designers to include a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

The rear of the car is characterised by innovative forms with the buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. For maximum comfort whilst driving top down the 458 Spider features a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop. The design was perfected to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, enabling normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h.

New technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The result is a car that is truly exciting to drive, blending extreme performance with the responsiveness that has always characterised Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.

458 Spider technical specifications

Dimensions
Lengt	4527 mm (178.2 in.)
Width	1937 mm (76.3 in.)
Height	1211 mm (47.7 in.)
Wheelbase	2650 mm (104.3 in.)
Dry weight	1430 kg (3153 lbs)*
Weight/power ratio	2.51 kg/CV (7.42 lbs/kW)
Weight distribution fr/r	42%/58%
Engine
Type	90° V8
Displacement	4499 cc (274.5 cu in.)
Maximum power	570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm
Maximum torque	540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm
Specific power output	127 CV/l
Compression ratio	12.5:1
Tyres
Front	235/35 ZR20 8.5”
Rear	295/35 ZR20 10.5”
Performance
Maximum speed	320 km/h (198 mph)
0-100 km/h	3.5 s
Fuel consumption + emissions
Fuel consumption***	11.8 l/100 km
Emissions***	275 g CO2/km
Gearbox
Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1
Electronics
E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS   source: Ferrari

Read More

News: Ferrari Enzo found abandon in Dubai

Here’s an unfortunate find. Remember the destruction of Saddam Hussein’s epic car collection, many of which included the destruction of a Porsche 993 Turbo S, an extremely rare Lamborghini LM002 SUV and supposedly a Mercedes-Benz 500K worth more than millions? Well this one is a little something like that.
A journalist stumbled upon a Ferrari Enzo rotting away in the desert of Dubai. Supposedly, the reason as to why cars like these end up sitting in the dust are from entrepreneurs who returned home after their business or real estate ventures failed.
It was said to have been found in a police impound, which means that the car will most likely be auctioned off and sent to a new owner who could fix it up. But they’d better have some deep pockets and lots of cash to spend because the Enzo is sitting in a part of the world where exterior temperatures often exceed 115 degrees F.

Only 399 Enzos have been officially sold to the public. With already a considerable amount of them dead from careless actions of their owners, the Ferrari Enzo could slowly be disappearing off of the face of the Earth.

- By: Chris Chin
Source: MotorAuthority

More Picture of Abandon Enzo in Dubai

Read More

Info :Photo of Ferrari Accident

Unscheduled bodywork: What remains of a Ferrari F40, which ended up looking a lot less impressive after a Houston mechanic made a clumsy conversion while on a test drive

Instant convertible: The owner of this F430 Scuderia was lucky to escape with his life after an accident led to a roadside guardrail almost sheering the roof off

 

 At least the indicator still works: The owner of this Ferrari 599 GTO lost control and ended up flipping the car over in a ditch. Thanks to the car-maker's safety features, however, nothing other than pride was hurt

Flooded engine: A Ferrari 360 Spider is half on and half off the Croatian island of Pag after a van pushed it into the water. While it was professionally retrieved it may not see its former glory

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2029691/Mechanics-cheeky-spin-Ferrari-F40-owner-away-ends-300-000-disaster.html#ixzz1W8v8vmqS

Read More

News: Insurance firm faces record £300,000 payout over Zonda supercar crash

An insurance company is facing a record payout for a car crash after a motorist caused £300,000 damage to a Pagani Zonda S supercar during a test drive. 

The driver was borrowing the £528,000 sports car from its owner when he spun out of control on a narrow country lane near Aberdeen.

The Italian-made vehicle, which can reach speeds of 220mph, hit a telegraph pole before smashing through a fence.

The motorist, whose identity has not been revealed, escaped the mangled wreckage unhurt.

But Aviva, the insurance firm picking up the pieces from the crash in September last year, has been lumbered with a six-figure bill for repairs to the car.

It is thought to be the highest ever British insurance payout for repairs to a car.

 

Read More

2011 Gemballa Mistrale Porsche Panamera S with 700Hp Tweaks

Gemballa starts with the Panamera, strips away most of the steel body panels and replaces them with carbon fiber — hood, front fenders, doors, front and rear bumpers and valances all are replaced with bespoke designs.

The tuning house then fits its own multispoke 22-inch forged alloy wheels and a Brembo high-performance brake system, with cross-drilled, vented discs, six-piston monoblock calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the rear.

Gemballa offers customers a choice of two engine-upgrade kits, the first of which nudges output to 610 horsepower and torque to 627 pound-feet.

The full-house Stage 2 kit pumps output to 700 hp and torque to 738 lb-ft, thanks to the addition of larger turbos with high-efficiency intercoolers, modified intake, remapped ECU and sport exhaust with free-flow catalytic converters.

 source: Inside Line Porsche Panamera S Gemballa Mistrale

Read More

Ferrari FF 4wd 4 seater launch in Malaysia for RM2.8 Million

FF stands for Ferrari Four. The FF is a four-wheel drive (a first for the brand) four-seater GT with its engine in a “front-mid” position under that long hood. The powerplant in question is a direct injection V12 displacing 6,262 cc. It makes 660 horses at 8,000 rpm and 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm, 500 Nm of which is available at just 1,000 rpm.

Needless to say, performance is staggering – the 0-100 km/h sprint is covered in 3.7 seconds on to a top speed of 335 km/h. The FF weighs in at 1,880 kilos by the way.
Coupled with a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox, efficiency has been significantly boosted too, with fuel consumption standing at 15.4 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions at 360 g/km. This is 25% lower compared to Ferrari’s previous V12s, thanks to the HELE (High Emotions- Low Emissions) System that incorporates Stop&Start technology. Yes, even Ferrari has to think green in today’s landscape.

source and more picture at Paul Tan

Read More