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26 Nov,
2008
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Proved: GT2 beat GT-R in Nurburgring
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Nissan GT-R’s astonishing Nurburgring lap time at 7:29 has been
seriously in doubt by Porsche. As we have reported back in early
October, Porsche bought a GT-R and tested it at Nurburgring together
with its 911 GT2, found it trailed the GT2 by as much as 20 seconds a
lap ! Shortly after that, Nissan responded with some “evidence” and
hinted that Porsche did not have the GT-R properly run-in and setup. To
find out who was right, British online magazine Driver Republic brought
a Japanese-spec GT-R to Nurburgring and compared with a Porsche 911
GT2. The Nissan was borrowed from a friend with plenty of miles
covered. It was shod with Bridgestone tires as in any Japanese spec
GT-R. The 911 GT2 was supplied by Porsche GB, but DR verified its
acceleration (0-100 mph in 7.4) and proved that it was not a
particularly good sample. Both cars were to be driven by the same
driver, ex-Autocar road test editor Chris Harris who is also an
experienced racing driver in Nurburgring. Such a comparison seems fair
enough.
Unfortunately, the test was conducted on a slightly damped track after
heavy rain, which should give a strong advantage to the 4-wheel-drive
and better balanced GT-R. Nevertheless, the Porsche still beat the
Nissan by nearly 7 seconds in the end. The lap times were:
Porsche 911 GT2: 7:49.0
Nissan GT-R: 7:55.9
Moreover, Chris Harris claimed he felt the livelier Porsche can easily
extract more time with more practice and better road condition, while
the lap time of GT-R was done almost flawlessly. In optimal testing
conditions, the gap will be widened further. Harris even doubted how
Nissan could achieve 7:29 with the GT-R, even considering it was shod
with the stickier Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires which Nissan claims
could cut 5 seconds a lap.
Now the picture is clear. GT-R is not only slower than GT2, but it is
also likely to be slower than a stock 911 Turbo.
For full story see Driver
Republic.
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24 Nov,
2008
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Porsche Panamera revealed !
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Porsche has finally revealed its new sports saloon Panamera. From these
official photos you can see the Panamera is huge - some 4970 mm long,
1931 mm wide and 1418 mm tall, with a wheelbase of around 2920 mm. Its
exterior profile has some interesting similarities with the 1993
Bugatti EB112 concept car by Giugiaro (see pictures). Nevertheless, it
differs from the EB112 by having a hatchback door, so it is actually
not a sedan. Its drag coefficient is 0.29. An electric rear spoiler
raises at speed to counter rear lift.
The Panamera's cabin (still without official pictures) has only 4 seats
as the large transmission tunnel prevent it from being a 5-seater.
However, it should provide good head and leg room for each rear
passengers. Besides, its luggage space is aplenty - 450 liters in
standard form, expandable to 1500 liters when both rear seats fold
down. If not enough, customers may also opt for a tow bar, which can be
stowed electrically under the floor. A Porsche sports saloon with
towing capability, can you believe ?
 Panamera 4S
It may be less unbelievable if you know the Panamera actually shares
most of its architecture with Cayenne SUV. Both cars share the same
suspensions with adaptive air springs, the same V6 / V8 engines,
transmission and active 4-wheel drive system. Predictably, the Panamera
is also assembled in the Leipzig plant. To save tooling costs, the
bodyshell is stamped, welded and painted by Volkswagen's Hanover plant,
then transfer to Leipzig for final assembly and mate with the engines,
which come from Zuffenhausen.
 Panamera 4S
The Panamera's monocoque body is basically steel, although aluminum is
used in bonnet , tailgate and door skins. According to insiders, the
top model
should tip the scale at just under 2 tons. Like Cayenne, the
entry-level model is to be powered by Volkswagen's 3.6-liter VR6 engine
with 300 hp. The Panamera S uses a 400 hp 4.8-liter V8 from Cayenne
GTS, while Panamera Turbo uses a 500 hp version of the V8 which comes
directly from Cayenne Turbo. Nothing surprising. Also like the SUV,
later on it will be available with a 350 hp Hybrid V6. However, it is
expected that the Cayenne's newly added Audi 3.0TDI diesel V6 won't
make into the Panamera, as it won't fit the performance image of this
car.
 Panamera
Turbo
Rear-wheel drive is a default choice for the V6 and naturally aspirated
V8. The latter will have 4WD as option under the name Panamera 4S.
Turbo will have 4WD as standard to cope with the high power.
Transmission will include a choice of 6-speed manual, new 7-speed PDK
double-clutch gearbox and, in case of the Hybrid V6, 6-speed Tiptronic
auto.
Porsche said its sales target is 20,000 units per year, although it is
known that 12,000 units will be enough for breakeven. Its target rivals
are mainly the mainstream Mercedes-Benz CLS-class, Maserati
Quattroporte and even the fast versions of BMW 7-Series, but the more
expensive and exclusive Aston Martin Rapide and Lamborghini Estoque are
also within its reach.
 1993 Bugatti EB112
 Bugatti EB112 |
21 Nov,
2008
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Nissan 370Z full details
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Following its debut in Los Angeles motor show, the full details of
Nissan 370Z has been released. The new 2-seater sports car is made
smaller than its predecessor 350Z, being 70mm shorter overall (now
4244mm) and 100mm shorter in wheelbase (now 2550mm). However, to aid
handling, its tracks has been widened while the roof is lowered by 8mm.
The manual-gearbox 370Z weighs 1466 kg, a reduction of 43 kg from the
old car. This is achieved by using aluminium bonnet, doors and
tailgate, as well as a carbon-fiber radiator housing and driveshaft.
Weight of the alloy wheels, fuel tank, exhaust and audio system have
also been trimmed to meet the weight target.
The exterior design of 370Z is loyal to 350Z, which is more brutal than
sexy. L-shape headlights and taillights seem more stylish, but the big
mouth is definitely ugly. The sloping roof line has some sense of 911.
Drag coefficient remains unchanged at 0.30, or 0.29 with optional
spoilers. With the latter, the car generates zero lift front and rear.
Its chassis is said to be stiffer, with torsional rigidity increased by
30% up front and 22% at the rear structure, although Nissan did not
reveal the absolute figure for the whole chassis. Center of gravity is
lowered slightly by mounting the engine 15mm lower than before, and the
driver seat is mounted 10mm lower.
 
The second generation FM platform still has the V6 mounted mostly
behind the front axle line. It still fails to achieve 50:50 balance,
otherwise Nissan would have stressed in its press release. As expected,
the VQ37VHR engine (with VVEL variable valve timing and lift) from
Infiniti G37 is adopted. It is rated at 332 hp at 7000 rpm and 270
lb-ft at 5200 rpm, virtually the same as G37. This is a 26hp increase
over its predecessor. Redline is raised by 500rpm to 7500rpm. I expect
it could break the 5 seconds barrier in 0-60 mph.
There are two transmissions available. Standard is a 6-speed manual.
Interestingly, during downshift its engine management system can blip
throttle automatically to match the rev of the next gear, much the same
as a robotized manual gearbox. Nissan said it is the world’s first
rev-match function for a manual gearbox. Another transmission is a
paddle-shift 7-speed automatic carried over from G37.
The front suspensions of 370Z has switched from a multi-link setup to
double-wisbhone design with forged aluminium arms. Rear suspensions
remain a 4-link setup, although with stiffer and lighter construction.
New quick-reacting and low-friction dampers should improve ride and
handling. Standard tires are Yokohama Advan Sport 225/50R18 front and
245/45R18 rear. Sport package has them upgraded to Bridgestone Potenza
RE050A 245/40R19 and 275/35R19 respectively. The sport package also
includes larger brakes (355mm front and 350mm rear versus the standard
320 / 307mm) with 4-pot front and 2-pot rear aluminium callipers.
As before, the 350Z is a classic front-engine rear-drive sports car.
Its simplicity lets Nissan to price at from only US$30,000,
representing good value for money.
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21 Nov,
2008
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Porsche Cayman / Boxster facelift
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Porsche has unveiled its updated Boxster and Cayman range. Although it
is called as the “second generation 987”, what we found are actually a
mild facelift and predictable mechanical improvements. Externally, both
cars get a slightly restyled front and rear end with reshaped
headlights, taillights, intakes, foglamps etc. Aerodynamic efficiency
seems to be unchanged as it was not mentioned in the press release.
Such changes are unlikely to stimulate too much sales.
In the mechanical side, the base 2.7 boxer engine of Boxster has been
enlarged to 2.9 liters (2893cc) to boost power and torque to 255hp and
214 lbft respectively (up from 245hp and 201 lbft). The Boxster S
engine remains at 3.4 liters, but it gains direct fuel injection and
12.5:1 compression ratio to lift horsepower to 310hp (up from 295hp).
Cayman and Cayman S employs the same engines as the equivalent Boxster,
but their outputs are raised by a further 10 horsepower, which means
265hp for Cayman 2.9 and 320hp for Cayman S. Porsche did not reveal the
differences between them.
Another welcomed improvement is the availability of 911’s PDK
double-clutch gearbox with 7 speeds. Its quicker and smoother gearshift
reduces 0-60 mph time by about 0.1 second. A Cayman S with PDK and
launch control now takes 4.8 seconds to go from 0-60, compare with 5.1
seconds of the previous generation. Moreover, fuel consumption is also
improved significantly by the combination of twin-clutch, 7-speed (as
7th is an overdrive) and direct injection. Porsche said the Cayman S
PDK now returns 30.7 mpg according to EU combined cycle, 16 percent
better than the old Cayman S with Tiptronic gearbox.
That said, we should expect more than these changes from the “second
generation 987”. Shouldn’t we ?
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21 Nov,
2008
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Ford Mustang facelift
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Ford Mustang gets a mild facelift for model year 2010. Its front end
gets a little smoother (although you might not notice) and the rear
gets neater taillights. Aerodynamic drag has been reduced by 7 percent
on V8 model, along with reduced interior noise level. The cabin now
features real aluminium and some soft plastics. Fit and finish is also
better. Ford's Sync multimedia connection system will be available.
Disappointingly, the old fashioned live axle rear suspensions remains,
although Ford claims reworked the springs, dampers and anti-roll bars
to improve ride and handling. Wheels are enlarged by 1 inch across the
range. The 4.6 V8 has its output increased from 300 to 315 hp, as its
tuning is benefited from the previous Bullit. Max torque increases
slightly to 325 lb-ft. However, the 4-liter V6 remains untouched.
Our question is, can these minor changes fend off the attack from
Chevrolet Camaro and Hyundai Genesis Coupe ?
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21 Nov,
2008
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Surprising ECOTY winner: Opel Insignia
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This year’s European Car of the Year award has been announced.
Surprisingly, Opel (Vauxhall) Insignia beats Ford Fiesta by only 1
point to win this title. The scoring of the 7 finalists are:
1. Opel Insignia: 321 points
2. Ford Fiesta: 320 points
3. Volkswagen Golf Mk VI: 223 points
4. Citroen C5: 198 points
5. Alfa Romeo MiTo: 148 points
6. Skoda Superb: 144 points
7. Renault Megane: 121 points
We said surprising because few motoring journalists actually see the
Insignia as a new leader in its class. Most criticized for its weaker
dynamics, diesel refinement and short of interior space compare with
Ford Mondeo, which did not even win ECOTY last year. The result is of
course unconvincing to many. My ranking would be like this: 1. Ford
Fiesta, 2. Citroen C5, 3. VW Golf, 4. Opel Insignia, 5. Alfa MiTo, 6.
Skoda Superb, 7. Renault Megane.
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21 Nov,
2008
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Japanese COTY: Toyota iQ
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In Japan, motoring journalists also voted their new car of the year.
Toyota's innovative small car iQ won this year's title convincingly.
However, Citroen C5 surprisingly beat Nissan GT-R for second place. The
top three scoring is:
1. Toyota iQ: 526 points
2. Citroen C5: 223 points
3. Nissan GT-R: 201 points
Disappointingly, the excellent Mazda Atenza (Mazda 6), Fiat 500 (last
year's ECOTY) and Jaguar XF did not made into the top three.
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21 Nov,
2008
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Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M
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Don't think the mighty 430 Scuderia must be in coupe form. No, as the
Scuderia conversion actually improves ride quality and gearchange,
Ferrari believes it is also perfectly suitable to the open top Spider.
So here comes Scuderia Spider 16M. It features the same conversion as
the coupe, such as a 510hp version of the 4.3 V8 and extensive
carbon-fiber body. It weighs 1440 kg in kerb, 90 kg heavier than the
Scuderia coupe but 80 kg less than F430 Spider. Compare with the
latter, it gains 3 mph at top speed (to 196mph) and cuts 0.4 seconds
(now 3.6 seconds) from 0-60 mph acceleration. Only 499 units of this
car will be built. Oh yes, the "16M" in its name implies Ferrari's 16th
F1 manufacturer championship title it clinched last month. What a pity
it could not include a "D", which just might be used by the forthcoming
McLaren supercar.
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21 Nov,
2008
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Mazda 3: more details and pictures
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The second generation Mazda 3 has made world debut in LA motor show.
First shown is the 4-door sedan version destined to American market.
Compare with the old car, it looks far sportier. The pronounced bonnet
and laughing front grille resembles that of the recently facelifted
RX-8. The combination of rising waistline and a short but high tail
gives it a sportscar profile, especially in the 2.5S model with
additional spoilers. Drag coefficient is a remarkable 0.29.
The new car measures 4590 mm long (+85mm), 1755 mm wide (unchanged) and
1470 mm tall (+5 mm), but its wheelbase remains unchanged at a generous
2640 mm. The car sits on a platform evolved from the last one. In other
words, suspensions continue to be MacPherson struts up front and
multi-link at the rear, while the rack-and-pinion steering is still
assisted by electro-hydraulic (thankfully). Mazda has not made any
significant changes to its chassis, just stiffening its front subframe,
suspension control arms, bushings etc. to improve body control. The
steering gear is now mounted at 3 instead of 2 points to allow the use
of softer bushings for better vibration dampening.
Performance of the American version is also likely to be sporty, as it
offers two large four-cylinder engines for selection - 148hp MZR 2.0
and 167hp MZR 2.5, which partner with 5 and 6-speed manual gearbox
respectively, or optionally a 5-speed automatic in both cases. Japanese
version will get a tax-friendly 1.5-liter engine, while European
(hatchback) versions will get a 1.6-liter and turbo diesel. This is
potentially the best driver's car in the class.
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21 Nov,
2008
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Nissan Cube renewed
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This is the third generation Nissan Cube. Like most recent Nissans, its
styling remains loyal to the last generation car, only the edges are
rounded and details are refined. The signature side-hinged luggage door
and hidden left rear pillar remain. Unfortunately, its new oval
headlights and thin front grille design are nowhere as stylish as the
old car’s round headlights and large mesh grille. Also, you may
criticize its overall profile has become less cubic.
However, the new Cube is still a boxy design with interior volume put
in first priority. This mean its 2530mm wheelbase fails to reflect its
actual roominess, especially the vast of head and shoulder room. Its
wave-shape dashboard and circular center console look very funky.
Interior materials seem to be vastly improved from the previous low
standard.
The car is built on a new platform which will also underpin the next
generation March / Micra. It uses conventional strut and torsion beam
suspensions and electrical power steering. The powertrain is 107hp
HR15DE four-pot engine and CVT. As before, e-4WD, such uses electric
motor to drive the rear wheels in part-time basis, is available too.
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21 Nov,
2008
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New Honda Life
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New bottle, old wine. This is the new generation Honda Life, a
nameplate that one and a half million cars on Japanese roads ever
carried. Mechanically it is derived from the last generation, with the
twin-spark 2-valve per cylinder 660cc i-DSi engines (52hp for NA and
64hp for turbo) carried over. The same goes for the old-fashioned,
compulsory 4-speed automatic transmission. Suspensions are still that
strut and torsion-beam setup, although modified to squeeze out more
interior space.
What's new is
the packaging, which gets squarer and 35mm taller for more space and
extra-large window area for excellent view out. Wheelbase remains
2420mm, still a class-leading figure. The driver now sits 35mm higher,
but the dashboard he faces is rather low rent. However, thicker seat
cushions are welcomed improvement. Drivers who can't drive will be
pleased to see the optional automatic parking assistance, which steers
the car automatically into the desired parking space.
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21 Nov,
2008
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Daewoo Lacetti
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New generation Daewoo Lacetti has gone on sale in South Korea. You may
find it familiar – yes, the forthcoming Chevrolet Cruze is derived from
it, although the American car will be built in USA while Daewoo comes
strictly from Korea. These photos show that both its exterior and
interior design are modern and stylish, if not very characterful. Its
body measure 4600mm long, 1790mm wide, 1475mm tall and runs a 2685mm
wheelbase, much the same as Cruze. However, in Korea its main engine is
only a 114hp 1.6-liter four, mating with either 5-speed manual or
6-speed auto.
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21 Nov, 2008
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| Industry News |
Detroit crisis: GM
sold Suzuki, Ford sold Mazda to save themselves
Detroit Big 3 car makers are getting into deep trouble as they can't
borrow money from the financial market while talks for government
bailout got stuck. To raise cash, they have to sell their profitable
stakes in Japanese car makers. This week GM sold its remaining 3
percent stake in Suzuki to raise US$230 million. In addition to its
sale of Subaru's stakes to Toyota earlier, Now GM no longer owns shares
in any Japanese car makers.
At nearly the same time, Ford sold 20% stakes of Mazda to various
Japanese companies for US$520 million. This reduces its stakes to 13%,
although it is still the largest single shareholder of Mazda. However,
following its reduced stakes, it has to withdrew some of the board
members it appointed, thus its influence to Mazda will be greatly
reduced.
Nevertheless, the money raised through the sales are unlikely to help
GM and Ford much, as their losses in each month already exceed these
figures.
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