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29 Aug, 2007

New Audi A4

In prior to its Frankfurt show debut, Audi has released details about the new generation A4. As you might have already known, the new A4 is the sedan version of A5 coupe, although it is longer and narrower. This can be easily seen from their similar front and rear design as well as the same dashboard. Both cars share the new generation drivetrain layout with the clutch moved behind the front axle / differential. This allows the engine to move backward by 154 mm to reduce nose heaviness. Besides, the battery is relocated to the boot to improve weight distribution further.

Compare with the old A4, the new car has grown by quite a lot. Its measures 4703 mm long and 1826 mm wide, some 117 mm longer and 54 mm wider than the old car. The wheelbase even increases from 2648 mm to 2808 mm. This mean the overhangs have been reduced. There are more head room and shoulder room for all passengers, while rear legroom increases by 36 mm. Boot volume increases to 480 liters.

The new body has drag efficient lowered from 0.28 to 0.27, compensating the increased frontal area. High strength steel of different grades and different thickness have been used at different places to achieve the necessary strength while reducing the chassis weight by 10 percent. Audi said the base model A4 1.8 TFSI weighs 1410 kg, some 55 kg lighter than the outgoing A4 1.8T.

Like A5, the suspensions are 5-link up front and multi-link at the rear. Control arms are made of aluminum to reduce unsprung weight. Electronic adaptive damping will be offered as a response to Mercedes C-class. A new "Dynamic Steering" can vary steering gear ratio automatically to correct understeer and oversteer, but hopefully not as artificial as BMW's Active Steer. New Quattro system transfer 60 percent power to the rear wheels. 3 transmissions and 5 engines are available:

Transmission:

- 6-speed manual
- 6-speed Tiptronic automatic
- Multitronic CVT with 8-speed manual override

Engine:

- 1.8 TFSI: 160 hp, 184 lbft.
- 3.2 V6 Valvelift: 265 hp, 243 lbft
- 2.0 TDI: 143 hp, 236 lbft
- 2.7 TDI V6: 190 hp, 295 lbft
- 3.0 TDI V6: 240 hp, 369 lbft

In short, the same as A5's.

29 Aug, 2007

Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S

Maserati is introducing an even more hardcore version of its big sedan, Quattroporte Sport GT S. It ditched the Skyhook adaptive damping for stiffer passive dampers. Ride height is lowered (by 10mm front and 25mm rear). New cast iron-aluminum hybrid brake discs by Brembo are said to improve brake feel and fade resistance. 20-inch alloy wheels shod with wider and grippier tires (295/30 at the rear). These changes should lift its handling to new height.

Unfortunately, the weakness of Quattroporte remains untouched – the peaky 4.2-liter V8. Worse still, it offers only the new ZF automatic transmission. This seems to contradict with the car's sporting character. It seems that Maserati is withdrawing its once proud automated manual gearbox from production.

28 Aug, 2007

Jaguar XF unveiled !!

The new Jaguar XF is definitely one of the most awaiting new cars this year. The fate of Jaguar will be very much dependent on the success of this car. Because X-Type is set to enter graveyard in one to two year's time, while the low volume XJ and XK are unlikely to earn much profit, the future of Jaguar will rely on the middle-size XF, which is replacing S-Type as a British fighter to Mercedes E-class, BMW 5-Series, Audi A6 and Lexus GS etc.

Some background information first. Because Jaguar is short of cash, it builds the XF on the same platform as the outgoing S-Type, which means the same hard points position (such as the same 2909 mm wheelbase) and some common steel pressings. This saved development time and costs. Another cost saving measure is to use conventional steel monocoque chassis instead of the aluminum spaceframe originally planned. This sounds disappointing to car lovers, but in my opinion it is probably a correct decision. Remember, even the pricier Mercedes and BMW could not afford the extra costs of aluminum spaceframe technology.

Using conventional steel chassis means it does not have any advantage in weight compare with its rivals. However, it can still undercut its predecessor by 33 to 94 kilograms, depending on engines. This is owing to the use of more high-strength steel in the chassis (see table below).

Table: Exterior dimensions & weight comparision

	Jaguar XF 3.0 V6	BMW 530i	Mercedes E350	Audi A6 3.2FSI	Lexus GS300
Length	4961 mm	4841 mm	4818 mm	4916 mm	4825 mm
Width	1877 mm	1846 mm	1822 mm	1855 mm	1820 mm
Height	1460 mm	1468 mm	1452 mm	1459 mm	1430 mm
Wheelbase	2909 mm	2888 mm	2854 mm	2843 mm	2850 mm
Weight (DIN)	1604 kg	1530 kg	1605 kg	1540 kg	1620 kg

Table: Weight Comparison (DIN kerb weight)

	2.7D	3.0 V6	4.2 V8	4.2 SC V8
XF	1696 kg	1604 kg	1674 kg	1767 kg
S-Type	1790 kg	1710 kg	1735 kg	1800 kg*

* S-Type R

Looking from these photos, we can see Ian Callum's new design is surprisingly pleasing. At first, you might find difficulties to accept its thoroughly modernized looks. Traditional Jaguars penned by William Lyon and Geoff Lawson were slim and retro. In contrast, Callum's XF is sporty, muscular and sophisticated. Like most modern rivals, it surrenders to the laws of physics and reshaped its waistline to rise gradually towards a high-set tail in order to reduce aerodynamic lift. From some angles it looks quite similar to Lexus GS – which is not a bad thing – but with a steeply raked fastback, it looks even more like a 4-door coupe. Obviously, Callum wants it to look like a 4-door version of XK. Also like the XK, it adopts a bonnet which pops up automatically in the event of collision to provide enough clearance from the engine hard points. This allows a sleek front end design while meeting European pedestrian safety regulations. A smooth roofline and raised tail contribute to a drag coefficient of 0.29.

However, the highlight should be the interior design instead. It gives up the old-fashion leather-and-wood approach and pursues a modern feeling by using metallic effect as the main theme. This leaves woods and leather as supporting roles. The visual build quality seems to be greatly improved. When you enter the cabin, you may be surprised by its simplicity – where are the air vents ? where is the gearlever ? Once you press the START button on the transmission tunnel, a-ha... those small covers on the fascia suddenly rotate to reveal the air vents, while a rotary gear mode selector rises from the transmission tunnel. At the same time, the dials on the dash illuminate, the trip computer's LCD screen (located between the dials) turns on and the touch screen on the center console comes into live. These gimmicks show a very different Jaguar from what we used to know: it says modern, it says high-tech, it says user friendly.

Space is a critical issue to the XF. The S-Type was infamous for a cramped cabin even though it had the longest wheelbase in class. The new XF is much more generous. It matches the class rivals for head room and leg room, both front and rear (see table below). Surprisingly, the coupe-like roof line does not compromise its rear accommodation. The increased space is mostly due to the adoption of thinner seats.

Table: Interior dimensions comparision (US measured figures)

	Jaguar XF	BMW 5er	Mercedes E	Audi A6	Lexus GS
F: head room	990 mm	993 mm	993 mm	983 mm	960 mm
F: leg room	1055 mm	1054 mm	1064 mm	1049 mm	1105 mm
R: head room	956 mm	968 mm	960 mm	960 mm	940 mm
R: leg room	930 mm	914 mm	904 mm	937 mm	925 mm

In the mechanical side, many components are shared with XJ and XK – engines, gearbox, differential, subframes and suspensions. There are four familiar engines: 2.7-liter twin-turbo diesel V6 (207 hp), 3.0-liter petrol V6 with dual-VVT and variable induction (240 hp), 4.2-liter V8 (300 hp) and 4.2-liter supercharged V8 (420 hp). All engines mate with the excellent ZF paddle-shift 6-speed automatic with Jaguar's shift program. No manual gearbox is available, but considering the seamless and responsive manner of this automatic transmission, I guess no one will miss a manual tranny.

As before, the suspensions consist of double-wishbones up front and a multi-link setup at the rear. Although they are basically the same as XJ and XK's, they have unique anti-roll bars, knuckles and bushings. Again, CATS adaptive damping is standard on the V8 models.

From design and packaging point of view, the new XF is definitely a big leap forward from the old S-Type. Can it save Jaguar ? I'm not sure... However, it should help boosting the brand image of Jaguar immediately and let Ford to ask for a higher bidding price. That's probably the most important mission of the XF. No wonder it is unveiled at this critical moment !

Table: Power and Performance

	XF 2.7D	XF 3.0 V6	XF 4.2 V8	XF 4.2 SC V8
Power	207 hp	240 hp	300 hp	420 hp
Torque	320 lbft	216 lbft	303 lbft	413 lbft
Top speed	143 mph	148 mph	155 mph	155 mph
0-60 mph	7.7 sec	7.9 sec	6.2 sec	5.1 sec

24 Aug, 2007

Ford Verve concept

The Ford Verve concept car previews next year's Fiesta. It takes the sporty design signature of design boss Martin Smith to a small hatchback for the first time. Looking from these pictures, it seems the attempt is by all means successful. Let's hope the production car will look this good.

21 Aug, 2007

New American Honda Accord

Honda has unveiled the new generation American Accord. Although some journalists described it as more stylish (they probably copied the press release), to me the new Accord appears to be too ordinary in Sedan form. It lacks the sporty profile of European designs like new Mondeo, Laguna and Passat. Its angular headlamps and front grille does not suit everyone's taste. The Accord Coupe is a little better as it gets entirely different clothes. It certainly looks sportier, although you can still criticize it for looking too tall.

Measuring 4930 mm long, 1847mm wide and 1476 mm tall, the new Accord sedan is larger again than the outgoing generation, which measured 4813 / 1815 / 1455 mm. Similarly, its wheelbase has grown by 60 mm to 2800 mm. All these bring a kerb weight between 70 and 100 kg heavier than before. On the plus side, the chassis used higher percentage of high-strength steel to achieve a gain of 20% in torsional rigidity, which should benefit refinement, handling and crash worthiness. Compare with the sedan, the Accord Coupe is 86 mm shorter and 61 mm lower than the sedan. All Coupes (as well as the higher power sedans) have an additional tower brace over front suspensions.

Honda said the new Accord has improved handling owing to the stronger chassis, wider tracks, lowered engine and fuel tank and a new variable gear ratio power steering. On the other hand, ride quality is enhanced by a new engine mount and new multi-link rear suspensions. The front suspensions remain the same double-wishbone design.

3 engines are available:

The cheapest engine is the familiar 2.4-liter DOHC 16V i-VTEC four-cylinder with variable cam phasing and variable timing / lift. Now it is tuned to produce 177 horsepower and 161 lb-ft of torque, compare to the outgoing engine's 160 hp / 161 lbft. It mates with 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearbox.

The middle engine is the high power version of the above. Thanks to higher compression ratio, variable back-pressure exhaust and different engine mapping, it produces 190 horsepower and 162 lb-ft. Transmissions are the same as above.

The flagship engine is a 3.5-liter SOHC i-VTEC V6. It grew 500cc compare with the old car in order to compete with its 3.5-liter rivals (Camry and Altima, most notably). This i-VTEC system is based on the old cam-changing VTEC but with an addition function to deactivate the valves and effectively shut down individual cylinders. This mean the V6 can run on only 3 or 4 cylinders at light load to save fuel, and return to 6 cylinders to provide full power - which tops 268 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. As a result, the 3.5 V6 is actually a little more frugal than the old 240hp 3.0 V6. The 3.5 i-VTEC V6 mates with 5-speed automatic transmission only.

However, if you want to have an Accord Coupe with 6-speed manual gearbox, Honda can provide a conventional VTEC version of the 3.5-liter SOHC V6. It provides the same output as the above one, but goes without the aforementioned cylinder deactivation (or some people call it "variable displacment"). I really don't understand why Honda can't combine the more frugal engine with the more frugal gearbox.

Inside, the cabin is roomier and more stylish than the outgoing car, if not better quality. The active anti-noise control of the outgoing Japanese version (Honda Inspire) and Accord Hybrid is now standard equipment on all models bar the 177hp model. It produces an out-of-phase noise in the cabin to cancel the noise generated from the engine.

21 Aug, 2007

Citroen C5 Airscape Concept

Citroen is to unveil this C5 Airscape concept car in Frankfurt show. While we don't know whether a cabriolet coupe like this one will be produced, we are sure that the car previews the design of the next generation C5 which is arriving next year. The C5 will share underpinnings with Peugeot 407, including the 208hp 2.7 twin-turbo V6 and 6-speed automatic as shown in this concept car. The wheelbase is known to be 30mm longer than its sibling to provide more space and smoother ride. Top spec. model is likely to feature Citroen's unique Hydractive suspensions evolved from C5 and C6.

21 Aug, 2007

Volvo C30 Efficiency

Also to be featured in Frankfurt is Volvo's C30 Efficiency. As suggested by its name, the car is the more fuel-efficient version of C30. It enhanced frugality by reducing drag (sealed grille, lower ride height, reshaped roof spoiler and rear bumper and smooth under tray), taller gearing, low rolling resistance tires, low friction transmission lubricant, electric power steering and a fuel economy-biased engine magament system for the 1.6 turbo diesel engine. The result is 62.8 mpg for EU combined cycle (up from 57.6 mpg) and less than 120 g/km CO2 emission. What you need to sacrifice is 5 horsepower.

19 Aug, 2007

Aston Martin DBS officially announced !

Aston Martin is unveiling its new model DBS. The DBS has been featured in this year's James Bond film "Casino Royale" (I watched the film because of this) but only now the official details are available. Aston said it is not a successor to the flagship Vanquish but it bridges the gap between DB9 and the racing DBRS9. Obviously, an even faster Vanquish successor is on the pipe line and it will sit above this car. Technically, DBS is a sportier derivative of DB9. It shared the latter's VH aluminum spaceframe chassis but clothed with some carbon-fiber panels, such as bonnet, front fenders, doors, trunk lid and diffusers. They combined to save 30 kilograms of weight. The styling by new design director Marek Reichman is more muscular than DB9. It employs larger and more intakes at the front, pronounced sills and lip spoilers and more aggressive diffusers at the rear. Larger 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels shod with wider and lower profile rubbers. The car is also slightly longer, wider and lower than DB9, although it shares the same profile and most critical parts such as glass and taillights.

Inside, the dashboard and console is almost the same as DB9 - which is a good thing. The door panels, handles and door sills are now made of carbon-fiber to lift its high-tech image rather than to save weight. However, the biggest difference are the rear seats, or the lack of them. DBS is strictly a 2-seater. Up front, 10-way adjustable leather seats are standard while carbon-fiber buckets are optional, which save 20 kg.

Under the bonnet again sits Aston Martin's 5.9-liter V12 engine, still goes without variable valve timing, but now it adds a variable induction system, which uses pass-by intake ports to open at above 5500 rpm to increase air flow. This lifts horsepower from DB9's 450 to 510 at 6500 rpm. It still trails the outgoing Vanquish S by 10 horses, but now the DBS has to comply with stricter Euro V emission standard. Maximum torque remains unchanged from DB9's 420 lbft. The engine drives the rear wheels through a standard 6-speed manual gearbox. No automatic at the moment.

The chassis is mostly unchanged from its sibling. Major differences are: 1) It uses Bilstein adaptive dampers which offer 5 stiffness levels. The driver can select between normal mode and track mode to alter the damping, traction control and stability control. 2) It uses Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes as standard, saving 12.5 kg in total. 3) The suspension setting is stiffer than DB9 even in standard mode.

The whole car is 65 kg lighter than DB9 and 140 kg lighter than Vanquish S. Aston claims a top speed at 190 mph and 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds). That's not enough to rival Ferrari 599GTB, however. The new Aston is expected to cost £160,000 in England, versus the Ferrari's £180,000. Those gambling big money in Casino Royale are unlikely to care about the small differences.

	DBS	DB9	Vanquish S
Chassis	Al spaceframe	Al spaceframe	Al spaceframe
Body work	Al + carbon-fiber	Al + composite	Aluminum
Length	4721 mm	4697 mm	4665 mm
Width	1905 mm	1875 mm	1923 mm
Height	1280 mm	1318 mm	1318 mm
Wheelbase	2740 mm	2740 mm	2690 mm
Engine	V12, dohc, 4v/cyl, variable intake.	V12, dohc, 4v/cyl.	V12, dohc, 4v/cyl.
Capacity	5935 cc	5935 cc	5935 cc
Compression	10.9:1	10.3:1	10.8:1
Power	510 hp / 6500 rpm	450 hp / 6000 rpm	520 hp / 7000 rpm
Torque	420 lbft / 5750 rpm	420 lbft / 5000 rpm	425 lbft / 5800 rpm
Gearbox	6M	6A	6M
Suspensions	DW / DW, adaptive damping.	DW / DW	DW / DW
Tires	F: 245/35ZR20 R: 295/30ZR20	F: 235/40ZR19 R: 275/35ZR19	F: 255/40ZR19 R: 285/40ZR19
Front brakes	398mm, ceramic, 6-pot calipers	355mm, 4-pot calipers	378mm, 6-pot calipers
Rear brakes	360mm, ceramic, 4-pot calipers	330mm, 4-pot calipers	330mm, 4-pot calipers
Kerb weight	1695 kg	1760 kg	1835 kg
Top speed	191 mph (c)	186 mph (c)	200 mph (c)
0-60 mph	4.2 sec (c)	4.7 sec (c)	4.7 sec (c)
0-100 mph	9.4 sec (c)	10.2 sec (tested)	9.8 sec (c)

19 Aug, 2007

Chevrolet HHR SS boosts 260hp

Chevrolet HHR has been added with a high performance model SS. It uses the 260 horsepower 2.0 Ecotec direct injection turbo engine and 5-speed manual box from Pontiac Solstice GXP. However, it is installed transversely in this application and drive the front wheels. In addition to the retro look and high center of gravity, the combination is funny. Advice: put your money elsewhere.

11 Aug, 2007

Renault Clio Estate

The Estate version of Renault Clio is going to be unveiled in Frankfurt motor show. Compare with the Clio hatchback it added 23cm to the length and 151 liters of luggage space. Also new is the panoramic glass roof. Now who still wants Megane ? Engines are the same as other Clio, including the flagship 197hp 2.0 16V.

2 Aug, 2007

Industry News

Foreign car makers sales exceed Big 3 in the US, finally !!

For the first time in history, sales from foreign car makers exceeds the American car makers (GM, Ford and Chrysler) in the US market. In July, foreign car makers controlled 51.9% of the US market in terms of unit sales, beating the 48.1% market share of Detroit Big 3. As the market is shifting towards more environmental friendly cars, the Big 3 pays high price for over-reliance on trucks and sport utilities.

1 Aug, 2007

Bentley Continental Speed

Possibly feeling the pressure from the new Mercedes CL600, Bentley has produced a higher performance version of its Continental GT coupe, called Continental Speed. Its name may remind you the legendary Bentley 6.5-liter Speed Six of the late 1920s. The new Speed model has its twin-turbo 6-liter W12 engine boosted to 610hp (50hp up) and 553 lbft (+74 lbft). Performance is now 202 mph (+4mph) and 0-60 mph in 4.3 sec (-0.4 sec). It also gets lower ride height, stiffer suspension tuning, bespoke 20-inch wheels (up from 19-inch) with Pirelli P-Zero tires, optional ceramic brakes, solidly mounted front suspension subframe, stiffened bushings at rear subframe, retuned power steering and 35kg weight reduction primarily due to more aluminum parts in suspensions and revised cooling system. The regular Continental GT will continue to be offered alongside the Speed model. It also gets some of the same upgrade (weight reduction, aluminum suspension, retuned steering, optional ceramic brakes etc.).

1 Aug, 2007

Toyota Blade Master gets V6 power

Surprisingly, Toyota has also entered the battlefield of super hot hatch, although it will be limited in Japan. The Japan-only Blade was originally topped by a 167hp 2.4-liter 4-pot engine mated with CVT. Now the range topper becomes a 3.5-liter Dual-VVT-i V6 engine, mounted transversely in its engine bay and drive the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The resultant "Blade Master" is 80kg up from the existing car, or 1480kg. It rides on 225/45WR17 tires. Engine output is 280 horsepower and 254 lbft of torque. As usual, Toyota does not reveal performance figures for its domestic models, but you can expect similar to Volkswagen Golf R32. However, the front-drive layout and automatic gearbox are unlikely to give it the necessary driver appeal to rival the Golf.