Latest
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26 Mar,
2008
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Jaguar and Land Rover sold to Tata
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After months of negotiation, Tata finally reached a deal to buy Jaguar
and Land Rover from Ford. Ford will receive US$2.3 billion cash, but it
will need to inject US$600 million into the pension funds of Jaguar and
LR, so the net income will be US$1.7 billion, not much more than the
US$848 million it got from selling Aston Martin last year. Anyway, this
will help reducing the loss of Ford group and relieve its financial
burden in the future. Ford lost US$2.7 billion last year.
The sale represents the end of Premier Automotive Group (PAG), which
once consisted of Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, Aston Martin and Lincoln.
Ford did not reveal the financial results of individual brands of PAG
in recent years, but it is believed that Jaguar made a loss of about
US$1.5 billion while Land Rover earned around US$2 billion last year.
They sold 60,500 and 226,000 units respectively last year.
Tata's primary interest is the profitable Land Rover. Unfortunately
Ford tied it together with Jaguar in order to get rid of the
loss-making unit. It is believed that Tata accepted the offer because
it reached an agreement with Fiat which will utilize Jaguar's
rear-wheel-drive S-Type platform for the future Alfa Romeo 169.
Tata group is one of the most powerful groups in India. Tata Motors is
the biggest car, truck and bus maker in India, but it is renowned for
making cheap vehicles only. It is not known how it will manage and
utilize the British luxury brands. Tata promised that the existing
management team will be retained and production will remain in the UK.
Ford will continue to supply engines and components to Jaguar and Land
Rover vehicles. However, in long term the "Britishness" of Jaguar and
Land Rover is doubtful.
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24 Mar,
2008
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Hyundai Genesis Coupe
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We saw Genesis Coupe in concept form a few months back. Now here comes
the production car. As mentioned before, it is derived from the same
platform as Genesis luxury sedan but it will be priced aggressively.
The base model, powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four-banger producing 212
hp and 217 lb-ft will be cheap enough to rival Ford Mustang V6. On the
other hand, the 3.8-liter V6 model with 306 hp and 310 lb-ft will give
Mustang V8 a lot of pressure. It will be one of the cheapest rear-drive
2+2 coupes on the market. Both models employ 6-speed manual gearbox as
standard. The automatic choice will be 5-speed for the cheaper car and
6-speed ZF for the V6 car. Brembo brakes will be optional. Measuring
4630 mm long and 2820 mm in wheelbase, the Genesis Coupe is far larger
than Tiburon / Coupe, the only Hyundai coupe until now.
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24 Mar,
2008
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Nissan Maxima renewed
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Surprise ! The new generation Nissan Maxima looks very different from
mainstream design. Apart from the wide front grille and sculpted
bonnet, notice the shoulder line, which runs low and horizontally
towards the tail. This contrasts with the current trend of high-rising
shoulder line which was started by European cars. As a result, the new
Maxima looks slimmer and longer than it is. However, whether you love
the strange headlamps is another matter.
As before, the Maxima shares platform with Altima. That means it is
positioned slightly above Altima but lower than Infiniti G35.
Strangely, this time Nissan no longer wants to make it just a larger
and more luxurious version of Altima, but a sportier one. It ignores
that the platform is front-wheel drive and increases the power of its
3.5-liter VQ35DE V6 to 290 horses and 261 lb-ft of torque. A
subframe-mounted front suspension with aluminum components, a stiffer
front structure reinforced by cross members and a new power steering
are said to kill torque steer, but we shall need a road test to prove.
What will undoubtedly improve roadholding is a sportier stance -
compare with the old car, it is 50 mm shorter in wheelbase but 40 mm
wider. Tracks are stretched by 35 mm front and 30 mm rear. The car is
shorter overall too.
The only transmission available to this car is Altima's CVT. Although
paddle shift is added as option, a CVT still looks like a contradiction
to a driver's car.
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24 Mar, 2008
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| Industry News |
WCOTY: Mazda 2
Mazda 2 has beaten Ford Mondeo and Mercedes C-class to be the World Car
of the Year 2008. Audi R8 has won the title Performance Car of the Year
as well as Design of the Year. Green Car of the Year award goes to BMW
118d with Efficient Dynamics.
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16 Mar,
2008
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Alfa Romeo Mi.To
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This is Alfa Romeo’s new baby car. It sits below 147 (and its
forthcoming replacement 149) and brings Alfa Romeo to B-segment
(supermini) for the first time. However, it will be a premium supermini
like BMW Mini rather than competing with mainstream superminis.
The name Mi.To represents two places – Milan (where it was designed)
and Turin (or Torino, where it will be produced). It is derived from
the Fiat Grande Punto platform. Measuring 4.06 meters in length, 1.44 m
high, 1.72 m wide and 2.51 m in wheelbase, it is slightly larger than
Grande Punto thus is one of the biggest superminis. Its exterior design
is strongly influenced by 8C Competizione, and previews how the next
149 will look like.
At launch there are 4 engines – 90hp 1.3JTD turbo diesel, 120hp
1.6M-Jet turbo diesel, 120hp 1.4T-Jet petrol turbo and 155hp 1.4T-Jet
petrol turbo (same as Grande Punto Abarth) – note that all are
turbocharged engines and none could be considered as weak. In the
chassis side, suspensions are predictably front strut / rear
torsion-beam type. However, most interesting is the new Alfa “DNA”
system, which provides 3 driving modes (Normal, Sport and All-Weather)
to alter suspensions, throttle, steering, brakes and gearbox. This
imply the baby Alfa will be the first B-segment supermini to offer
adaptive damping and automated manual gearbox at the same time.
Besides, VDC stability control is standard on all models. As you can
see, the Mi.To is determined to be upmarket.
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16 Mar,
2008
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Pontiac G8 GXP
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While Pontiac G8 is a badge-engineered version of Holden Commodore, G8
GXP is not the equivalent of HSV GTS. Although in performance terms
both cars are on equal grounds – Pontiac claims 4.7 seconds for 0-60
mph acceleration, while HSV takes 4.8 seconds – G8 GXP has several key
differences from the Australian car. First of all, the HSV employs a
specially tuned 6.0-liter LS2 V8 with 411 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of
torque. In contrast, the Pontiac adopts GM’s new 6.2-liter LS3 engine,
detuned from the latest Corvette to 402 horses and 402 lb-ft of torque.
This mean it is nearly as powerfu=l yet cheaper to produce.
The Pontiac does not have HSV’s Magnetic Ride Control adaptive damping
(again to enable a lower price), but compare with the regular G8 it
gets stiffer suspension setup and adjustable suspension geometry (i.e.
camber, caster, toe). The upgrade brakes are supplied by Brembo, with
355 mm ventilated front discs / 4-piston calibers and 324mm rear discs
/ single-pot calipers. For tires, it gets a lower-profile 245/40R19.
However, both brakes and tires are not as strong as the HSV. Pontiac is
very careful to make sure that the GXP has an accessible price. It will
have an accessible driving character as well, thanks to the choice of
6-speed Tremec manual gearbox and 6-speed automatic.
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7 Mar,
2008
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Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
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Without this mid-life makeover, I nearly forget that Lamborghini
Gallardo is already 5 years old. No matter in terms of sales or fame,
Gallardo has been proved to be a big success to Lamborghini. It saved
Sant' Agata and put it in a strong position to challenge Maranello
again. Now with the update to LP560-4, the challenge is even stronger.
The numbers in LP560-4 represents 560 horsepower and 4-wheel traction.
The former is definitely the headline of the new car. The V10 engine
has been bored out to 5204 cc (like Audi S6) from 4961 cc. New direct
injection system permits a higher, 12.5:1 compression ratio (again like
Audi S6). Dual VVT and variable length manifolds continue to serve the
90-degree V10 engine. At 8000 rpm, it produces 560 horsepower, up 30
hp. Maximum torque is 398 lb-ft, up 22 lb-ft, although it appears at
6500 rpm instead of 4250 rpm.
The E-gear 6-speed automated manual gearbox is significantly improved.
The fastest shift is now 40 percent quicker than before. It provides 5
modes for selection - Auto, Normal, Sport, Corsa (Race) and Thrust
(launch). With this gearbox, the LP560-4 can sprint from 0-60 mph in
3.6 seconds and top 202 mph, which makes it even faster than the
current Gallardo Superleggera ! Moreover, the E-gear version returns 6%
lower fuel consumption and 7% lower CO2 emission than the 6-speed
manual version.
As before, the LP560-4 employs a viscous-coupling 4-wheel-drive system
with 70 percent torque normally goes to the rear wheels. However, its
name may imply there could be a RWD version to be offered in the
future, probably LP560-2. Anyway, at 1500 kg DIN kerb weight, the
LP560-4 is already 20 kilograms lighter than the outgoing Gallardo.
Chassis improvement includes new rear suspensions with new geometry and
an additional link, tuned springs and dampers and larger brakes (both
steel and carbon-ceramic). It also sports an improved aerodynamic
package (new front spoilers and rear diffusers) and enlarged front
radiator cooling. However, to car enthusiasts, the most obvious change
is the more angular exterior design, which has strong flavour of
Reventon.
Lamborghini has raised the bar again with Gallardo LP560-4. Now it is
the turn of Ferrari to respond...
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7 Mar,
2008
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Pininfarina Sintesi
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Like Bertone and Karmann, Pininfarina is struggling in its car assembly
and engineering business. It is better to concentrate back to its root,
car design. The Sintesi shown here is its first concept car since the
Birdcage of 3 years ago. Judging from these pictures, you must agree
that it is "a synthesis of beauty, sportiness and functionality" as
described by Andrea Pininfarina. The Sintesi has sexy waist lines
similar to Ferrari 308 GTB while it is a roomy 4-door. The most elegant
feature is the side glass, which consists of a blackened upper section
and a clear lower section. The car is said to be powered by fuel cell
and 4 in-wheel electric motors with a combined 107 horsepower. Forget
that, this car is all about design.
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7 Mar,
2008
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Saab 9-X BioHybrid
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Another impressive concept car in Geneva show is Saab 9-X BioHybrid.
This 3-door wagon looks cool and pretty functional. Besides, it is
powered by an environmental-friendly hybrid system, which consists of a
1.4-liter direct injection turbo engine running on E85 bio-fuel and an
electric motor with lithium battery to provide up to 200 horsepower. To
save further fuel, it has adaptive aerodynamics which extends the roof
spoiler and underbody diffuser rearward for 100mm at above 43mph to
reduce aerodynamic drag. No wonder it emits only 105 g of CO2 per km.
The 9-X BioHybrid is likely to enter production within 3 years as Saab
9-1. It will be the smallest model of Saab and rival Volvo C30. Saab
hopes it could be built at its home plant at Trollhattan, but I doubt
that. As the production car will be based on the platform of next
generation Opel Astra, it would be far more cost effective to build it
at Opel's plant.
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7 Mar,
2008
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Volkswagen Scirocco production car
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Previously shown as "IROC" concept, the production Volkswagen Scirocco
hatchback coupe has been unveiled at Geneva. For those having no idea
what the first and second generation Scirocco were, it doesn't matter,
because the new Scirocco has nothing in common with them. Naturally,
the Scirocco is derived from the current Golf platform. It measures
4256 mm longer (40mm longer than Golf), 1810 mm wide (50mm wider) and
1400 mm tall (a good 66mm lower). Such profile is clearly designed to
realize a sporty look. Unfortunately, although Volkswagen tried hard,
it still looks more family hatch than coupe. In particular, the near
vertical tailgate is the one to be blamed. One thing we should notice
is that the car previews the new front end design of future VW
products. Do you like it ? It might take some time to convince me.
Because the Scirocco keeps the 2578 mm wheelbase of Golf and the
vertical tailgate, its interior is roomy by the standard of coupes
(again, it is arguable whether it can be classified as coupe). The
dashboard and console is taken straight from Eos (which is not a bad
thing). The rear seats are two individual buckets. Classy leather seats
and higher trim level ensure it to be a more desirable purchase than
the cheaper Golf.
You can expect it to be a better driver's car than the regular Golf
based on the wider stance, lower center of gravity and sportier
suspension setup. In addition, it provides an adaptive damping with 3
driver selectable modes (normal, comfort or sport). In terms of
performance, it should be more or less the same as Golf, because it
employs the same engines. These include 122hp 1.4 TSI, 160hp 1.8TSI,
200hp 2.0TSI (previously called TFSI) and 140hp 2.0TDI diesel.
Interestingly, all engines are turbocharged ! The 2.0TSI and 2.0TDI
engine may pair with wet-clutch 6-speed DSG, while the less torquey
engines may pair with dry-clutch 7-speed DSG gearbox.
 
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7 Mar,
2008
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Mitsubishi Prototype-S
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Mitsubishi has shown the hatchback version of Lancer in Geneva Motor
Show. Called Prototype-S, this car is almost the same as the production
version, Lancer Sportback, which will go on sale in Europe later this
year. Surprisingly, the hatchback is not only no shorter than the
Lancer, but even 15mm longer. Look at its long front and rear
overhangs, it could be quite outdated.
The Prototype-S appears as the hottest version of the Lancer Sportback,
which may be called Ralliart. It uses a detuned 4B11 2.0 turbo engine,
with 240 horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque. The Evo X's 6-speed SST
gearbox remains untouched, as is the active center differential. But I
expect the active yaw control at the rear axle may be discarded to save
costs. As the car is less powerful, it needs narrower 215/45 tires,
though the wheels are 19-inch large in the concept car.
Apparently, the production Lancer Sportback Ralliart is a response to
Subaru Impreza WRX (S-GT). It will sit under the Evo and appeal to more
mainstream customers. Mitsubishi forecasts the hatchback will
contribute to 70 percent of the European sales of Lancer.
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7 Mar,
2008
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Maserati GranTurismo S: 4.7 V8 and
transaxle
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For those criticizing the current Maserati GranTurismo has gone soft,
the Italian company responds with GranTurismo S. This car gets a larger
4.7-liter version of the Ferrari-built V8 like Alfa Romeo 8C
Competizione. It produces 440 hp at 7000 rpm (old car: 405 hp @ 7100
rpm; Alfa Romeo: 450 hp @ 7000 rpm) and 361 lb-ft of torque at 4750 rpm
(old car: 339 lbft @ 4750 rpm; Alfa Romeo: 354 lbft @ 4750 rpm).
Performance is lifted to 183 mph (from 177) and 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds
(from 5.0).
Besides, the GranTurismo S has its front-mounted automatic transmission
replaced with a rear-mounted transaxle. The latter shifts even more
weight towards the rear wheels - now front-to-rear weight distribution
is 47:53 instead of 49:51 - which should please keen drivers. The new
gearbox is an automated sequential 6-speed manual gearbox like the old
Cambio Corsa. Its so-called "MC-Shift" algorithm allows the total shift
time to be reduced to only 100 ms (or 40 ms for the gear engagement
time). Thanks to the experience transferred from Ferrari 599 and 430
Scuderia, I expect its shift quality will be greatly improved too.
Another improvement is braking. Following Quattroporte Sport GT S, the
GranTurismo S also employs Brembo's new dual-cast brake discs. These
discs consist of an aluminum core and cast iron surfaces on both sides
so that they are lighter and have better heat dissipation properties.
They pair with better 6-piston calibers. Owing to the reduced unsprung
weight and altered weight distribution, Maserati recalibrated the
springs, dampers and anti-roll bars of this car to deliver better
handling. Will all these changes perfectize the GranTurismo ? We shall
see soon.
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7 Mar,
2008
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Holden Coupe 60 and HSV W427
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In Australia motor show, Holden displayed two concept cars. The first
one is the Coupe 60 concept, which would be the successor of Monaro
coupe if it get production approval. Being the coupe version of VE
Commodore, it shares the same wheelbase with the sedan but is 60mm
shorter overall. Power comes from the same 6.0-liter Chevrolet Corvette
V8, adapted to drink E85 bio-fuel and has fuel-saving cylinder cut-off
system added.
Another show car is HSV W427, which will sit above HSV GTS to be the
highest performance Commodore ever made. It is powered by the same
7.0-liter LS7 V8 as Chevrolet Corvette Z06, rated at 496 horsepower and
472 lb-ft of torque. Other upgrades include a strengthened Tremec
6-speed gearbox, stronger clutch and differential, 20mm lower ride
height, more powerful brakes with 6-pot AP calipers and larger brake
pads. Magnetic Ride Control continues to provide adaptive damping. When
the W427 enter production, it is likely to get another name. However,
it will be twice as expensive as the GTS. This mean even at its home
market it will be no cheaper than the new BMW M3 !
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7 Mar,
2008
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Lotus Europa SE
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The unsuccessful Lotus Europa is now added with an SE model. It has the
2.0 turbocharged engine boosted to 225 hp and 221 lb-ft (up from 200 hp
and 200 lb-ft), along with larger wheels (17-inch front and 18-inch
rear), wider tires and larger brakes with AP 4-pot calipers. Although
top speed remains unchanged at 143 mph, 0-60 and 0-100 mph are
down to 5.5 seconds and 13.0 seconds respectively. The SE goes on sale
at £33,000, about the same as a base Porsche Boxster.
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7 Mar, 2008
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| Industry News |
Porsche to take
51% of VW
Porsche has announced its plan to increase stake in Volkswagen AG from
the current level of 31 percent to a controlling 51 percent. This will
involve an investment of 10 billion Euro. A classic example of small
eat big.
Aston Martin
Rapide to be built by Magna
Aston Martin has decided to subcontract the assembly of its forthcoming
DB9-based Rapide 4-door coupe to Magna Steyr in Austria.
Production will start from late 2009 and expect to turn 2,000 cars a
year. This will save Aston the need for investment to expand its own
factory, which is almost running at full capacity. Magna Steyr
currently build cars for Chrysler Europe, Mercedes G-glass SUV as well
as BMW X3.
Infiniti launches
in Europe, finally.
After 20 years of existence, Nissan finally launches its Infiniti brand
in Europe. The first product lineup consists of G37 sedan, G37 Coupe
and a couple of crossover-SUV (EX37 and FX50). The G37 sedan is
actually newer than the G35 sedan still offered in the USA and Japan
(as Skyline). It has the same 3.7-liter VVEL (variable valve timing
& lift) V6 as the existing G37 Coupe, good for 310 hp in the
European spec. Transmission has been upgraded from 5-speed auto to
6-speed auto. Besides, a 7-speed auto is added as option. Its 7th speed
acts as overdrive and improves fuel consumption during cruising. The
G37 Coupe will also be available with the 7-speed gearbox.
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