Latest
News
30 Dec, 2008
|
| Jaguar XF upgraded its diesel engine
to 275hp |
In Europe, the best selling Jaguar XF (as well as XJ) are powered by
the Ford 2.7-liter twin-turbo diesel V6. This engine is undeniably
smooth and refined, but its 207hp output is way below class standard.
For example, BMW's 3.0-liter diesel straight six produces 245hp in
single turbo form and 286hp in twin-turbo form. Audi's 3.0TDI V6
produces 240hp. Even the weakest Mercedes 3.0 V6 turbo diesel makes
some 224 horses. Remember, the steel body Jaguar XF is a heavy car. It
surely needs a more powerful engine to increase sales.
Now Ford has upgraded the V6 to 3.0 liters. The new engine employs 3rd
generation common-rail direct injection system, which uses
high-precision piezo injectors and 2000 bar fuel pressure to implement
up to 5 injections in each combustion cycle. It complies with the next
EU5 emission standard due 2011.
Another important improvement is the use of "parallel sequential
turbocharger system". Yes, both parallel and sequential. What does that
mean ? The system has a big VTG turbocharger and a small, fast-reacting
fixed geometry turbocharger. The big turbocharger basically operates
all the time. The small turbocharger joins it (thus works in parallel
to the big turbo) from 2800 rpm all the way to top end to provide full
boost. This arrangement is contrary to the two-stage twin-turbo system
of BMW, which uses a small turbo for low rpm and a big turbo for high
rpm (during which the small turbo gradually shuts down). Jaguar says
its system is superior to BMW's because the bigger turbo with its
larger diameter pipe generates less back pressure than small turbo,
hence less pumping loss and lower fuel consumption. A big turbo would
have needed higher rpm to get into operation, so Jaguar opts for a
variable geometry turbine to solve this problem.
The new Jaguar 3.0 diesel V6 produces 275 horsepower and astonishing
442 lb-ft of torque. The latter is even stronger than BMW's 428 lb-ft
and way higher than Audi's 369 lb-ft. This enables the XF to claim 0-60
mph in only 5.9 seconds and a regulated 155 mph top speed. At the same
time, it delivers an unbelievable 42 mpg EU combined fuel consumption
and 179 g/km of CO2 emission ! Both figures are the same as the much
lighter BMW 535d. Compare with the current XF 2.7D, its fuel economy is
12 percent better. Now who still need the petrol XF 4.2 V8 ?
|
22 Dec, 2008
|
| SLR Stirling Moss |
The final edition - also the most radical - of Mercedes SLR McLaren has
been unveiled. It is called SLR Stirling Moss as this car is a modern
interpretation of the 300SLR speedster that Stirling Moss used to won
Mille Miglia and Targa Florio in the 1950s. The car does not have any
windscreen and side glasses. It only gets a pair of small wind
deflectors in front of the occupants, and a pair of rollover bars
behind the seats, so the occupants have to wear helmets. The lack of
windscreen and roof means the car is lighter (although no figures now)
than the SLR and generates less aerodynamic drag. No wonder it could
top 217 mph, 8 mph higher than SLR 722. 0-60 mph is claimed at 3.4
seconds, 0.1 sec faster than 722. Both cars employ the same 650 hp 5.5
supercharged V8, which is so highly tuned that McLaren wasted no time
to work on it.
Production of the car will start next June following the end of other
SLR. 75 cars will be built until next December, by then SLR will be
history. At €750,000 before tax, this car is about twice the price of
the standard SLR.
|
22 Dec, 2008
|
| Volvo S60 Concept |
Volvo is surrounded by bad news recently – job cuts, requests Swedish
government bailout and is put on sale by Ford. However, business has to
go on as usual. As its S60 is coming to replacement next year, a
concept version will be unveiled in Detroit motor show as a preview of
the production car.
From these pictures, the S60 Concept looks very sporty, perhaps too
sporty to be realistic for production. We expect the production car
will be toned down to provide more headroom and better visibility. The
B-pillarless structure and double-hinge rear doors won’t make to
production car too.
The S60 Concept emphasizes advanced powertrain and aerodynamics to cut
fuel consumption and emission. A 180hp 1.6 GTDI direct injection turbo
petrol engine with auto start-stop facility drives a 6-speed
twin-clutch gearbox. Aerodynamic drag is reduced by flat undertray and
a front grille that can be partially closed at light load. As a result,
it achieves 56 mpg EU combined consumption and emits only 119 g of CO2
per kilometre.
The car also features some advanced safety equipments. Volvo claims it
has the world’s first collision avoidance system which can apply full
braking to avoid hitting pedestrians.
|
22 Dec, 2008
|
| Industry News |
US approved
bailout to GM and Chrysler
As expected, last week White House has approved bailout to GM and
Chrysler worth US$17.4 billion. GM will get $13.4 billion and the
remaining $4 billion will go to Chrysler. (Ford gets nothing because it
said it could survive by itself through next year) The money comes from
TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) which was originally set up for
financial enterprises. Hopefully both companies could survive until the
end of Q1 2009.
However, don’t think the government bailout is free. Both companies
shall proof the viability of its long term survival by the end of next
March. If they fail to convince the government, the loan has to be
repaid. By then they will have no choice other than going into
bankruptcy. The government also set targets for reducing debts and
reaching agreement with the workforce on wages and work rules, which
should be competitive with local plants operated by foreign car makers.
Honda cuts costs and kills new NSX
Economic recession is going to hit all car makers hard ! The latest
round of cost cut goes to Honda. Last week Honda’s President and CEO
Takeo Fukui announced it will take drastic measures to cut costs. These
include postponing its expansion plan (2 new plants and a new R&D
center in Japan and expanding capacity of its plants in India and
Turkey), cutting 1200 jobs in Japan, cutting salary of its high-level
executives, cancelling the plan to launch Acura brand in Japan,
stopping development of diesel engines for USA and Japan and, most
disappointing to car enthusiasts, cancelling the development program of
the new V10 supercar that would have succeeded NSX – well, I always
doubt its profitability even before the credit crunch. These cuts are
necessary as sales declined sharply in recent months. In addition to
the adverse effect of strong yen, Honda forecasted its operating profit
will fall 81 percent this fiscal year to only US$2 billion.
|
16 Dec, 2008
|
| New BMW Z4 |
The second generation BMW Z4, codenamed E89, has been unveiled. Unlike
the outgoing car, it is not a completely new design. Its exterior
design is a mild evolution from the old car, sharing the same unhealthy
proportion and weird surfacing. Those dislike the school of Chris
Bangle will continue to hate this car. Those appreciate it will
continue to love it, so it continues to split opinions. The chassis is
also an evolution of the outgoing one. The basic format of FR,
MacPheson strut and multi-link suspensions, electrical power steering
remain unchanged. Although the new car is 148 mm longer, its wheelbase
remains virtually unchanged at 2496mm, i.e., just 1mm longer. Its body
is only 9 mm wider. Weight has been increased by 100 kg, blame to the
switch to retractable hard roof.
Yes, the biggest change is actually the metal roof mechanism. It is a
2-piece roof made of aluminum. It goes up and down in 20 seconds. When
stored, the luggage space reduces from 310 to 180 liters, which isn't
so remarkable. (Note: a fabric soft roof should occupy less than half
the space it needs) In addition to the weight penalty hence downgraded
performance, I can't agree with BMW's decision to the switch to
retractable metal roof. Moreover, the presence of this roof actually
kills the Z4 Coupe, the more favourable version to me.
Another major change is the interior. You can see the dashboard and
console are thoroughly redesigned. It appears to be more stylish,
better quality and easier to use. The much improved i-Drive found in 3
and 7-series is also adopted here.
Annoyingly, BMW names the versions of new Z4 as sDrive23i, sDrive30i
and sDrive35i, in which the "sDrive" represents rear-wheel drive
(versus "xDrive" for 4WD) and the number refers to its confusing engine
performance index. The sDrive23i is powered by the existing 2.5-liter
Valvetronic magnesium crankcase straight-6 with 204 horsepower.
Performance is 148 mph top speed and 0-60 mph takes 6.3 seconds with
6-speed manual gearbox. Alternatively you can opt for a 6-speed
Steptronic automatic.
sDrive30i employs the 3.0-liter version of the Valvetronic magnesium
crankcase straight-6. Confusingly, its output drops back to 258
horsepower from the previous 265 hp. It will top a regulated 155 mph
and sprint from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, which is slower than the old
car. Transmissions are the same as the base engine.
sDrive35i is the new range topper. It uses the now familiar twin-turbo
3.0-liter direct-injection straight-6 with 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft
of torque. Mate with manual box it delivers 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds and
30 mpg combined consumption. Like M3 and 335i coupe, it offers the new
7-speed double-clutch gearbox as option, which reduces 0-60 mph by 0.1
second and adds 1.4 mpg to the EU combined cycle.
I expect a turbocharged four-cylinder could be added as entry-level
engine in the future. However, even the six-cylinder engines have
Efficient Dynamics to enhance fuel economy and reduce emission, which
utilizes brake energy regeneration, on-demand coolant / oil pumps,
electrical power steering and low rolling resistance tires. Just watch
out how the latter two could ruin its handling !
The new Z4, in sDrive30i and sDrive35i version, employs aggressive
rubbers measuring 225/45ZR17 up front and 255/40ZR17 at the rear. All
cars can be equipped with Adaptive M Sport suspensions, which includes
electronic adaptive damping and 10 mm lower ride height setup. Like
many other new performance cars, its Dynamic Drive Control system
allows the driver to select from 3 driving modes (Sport, Normal and
Comfort), each alters the damping stiffness, throttle response,
steering effort, DSC stability control threshold and transmission
mapping.
|
16 Dec, 2008
|
| Industry News |
Car industry
crisis: US Senate rejected bailout plan
The US Senate rejected a proposal to save the Big 3 car makers last
Friday. This was a big blow to GM and Chrysler, as both will run out of
cash at the end of this year. Now the only one who can save them is
president George Bush, if he is willing to use the existing US$700
billion TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) to help the car makers.
Otherwise, the US car industry just might collapse after Christmas !
The Senate failed to reach an agreement because the Republican insisted
the car makers to lower their labour wages and benefits immediately to
the level of plants owned by foreign car makers in order to guarantee
their long term competitiveness. Currently the union workers in Big 3
earn substantially higher wages than the US factories established by
Japanese car makers. They also enjoy far better health care and
pensions. This has long been a heavy burden to the US car makers,
eating into their profitability and competitiveness.
However, the Democrats did not want to hurt its relationship with blue
collar, especially the automotive worker union UAW. They proposed to
lower the wages and benefits after the current contract expired in
2011. The question is, can the Big 3 survive until then ?
Car industry crisis: not only US, now also worldwide !
- Toyota
is expected to post a loss of 100 billion yen (US$1.1 billion) in the
second half of its fiscal year ended March 31 next year, according to
Japanese analysts. This is driven by weak worldwide sales and strong
yen, which rose to 88 yen to 1 USD recently. Toyota will slash 6,000
jobs in its home country to save costs. If the world's strongest and
most profitable car maker get into red, how can other less competitive
car makers survive ? The prospect of global car industry gets alarming.
- Fiat
CEO Sergio Marchionne said only 6 car makers will survive the current
round of economic recession. To make sure Fiat will be one of them,
Fiat is likely to merge with PSA (Peugeot and Citroen) of France,
according to Italian newspaper Milan Financial. Last year the two
companies sold 6 million cars in total, about the same as Volkswagen,
Ford and Renault-Nissan, but less than Toyota and GM. With BMW, Daimler
(Mercedes), Honda and Hyundai-Kia also in the game, I still can't
figure out who the 6 survivors are.
|
16 Dec, 2008
|
| AutoZine Editorial: Give Big3 another
chance ! |
"It
is easy to criticize American cars – poor quality, cheap materials,
ugly, heavy and thirsty, low-tech – to name a few. However, let us be
fair. American car makers changed a lot in the recent 3-5 years." - Full Editorial here
|
9 Dec, 2008
|
| Audi R8 V10 |
Having prototype testing a twin-turbo V10 and even a V12 TDI engine,
Audi finally settled for a normally aspirated V10 for its flagship R8.
This 5.2-liter FSI direct injection V10 comes from the same modular
family of the 4.2 V8. The two extra cylinders added 31 kilograms to the
engine but it still weighs at a respectable 258 kg. The V10 is also a
detuned version of the one powering Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. While
the Lambo engine produces 560 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque, the
Audi flagship makes do with 525 horses and 391 lb-ft. These figures are
achieved at the same rev as Lamborghini, so they could be underrated
deliberately to avoid embarrassing its close cousin.
The fastest ever Audi provides competitive performance for its price –
196 mph top speed, 0-60 mph taking 3.8 seconds and 0-124 mph in
12 seconds. However, it is not as fast as its Lamborghini cousin
because it is heavier and has a larger frontal area (see comparison
table below). In return, the Audi provides a roomier cabin and more
creature comfort. Its driving character is expected to be more friendly
than the Lamborghini as well. The ASF aluminum spaceframe chassis is
the same as the regular R8, although the subframe mounting the engine
is made of lightweight magnesium alloy. All round aluminum double
wishbone suspensions and magnetic adaptive dampers continue to serve
the car. Surprisingly, the tire and brake size are unaltered from the
V8 version, which reflects how aggressive the existing R8 already is.
What the V10 brings is a set of newly designed alloy wheels, and the
availability of ceramic brakes as option.
Despite of the heavier engine, Audi claims the same 44:56 weight
distribution. The whole car is 60 kg heavier than the V8 version.
Again, Quattro 4WD system is mandatory. Standard transmission is a
6-speed manual box, while R-tronic double-clutch box is option.
Externally, the V10 differs from V8 model by a mesh front grille,
larger blackened areas at the front and rear ventilations, oval exhaust
pipes and the aforementioned new wheels. Oh yes, the headlamps are now
made of all-LED.
In Europe, the R8 V10 is sold at £100,000, dearer than the
£78,000 R8 4.2 but still considerably cheaper than the
£147,000 Gallardo. Its direct competitor should be Porsche 911
Turbo (also costing £100,000) and Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
(£108,000 in Europe). The Audi may be no faster than them, but
unquestionably it offers higher style and quality, and potentially
better handling. I can't wait to see the first test report.
|
R8 5.2 V10
|
R8 4.2 V8
|
Gallardo LP560-4
|
Price (UK)
|
£100,000
|
£78,000 |
£147,000 |
Length
|
4431 mm
|
4431 mm
|
4345 mm
|
Width
|
1904 mm
|
1904 mm
|
1900 mm
|
Height
|
1252 mm
|
1252 mm
|
1165 mm
|
Wheelbase
|
2650 mm
|
2650 mm
|
2560 mm
|
Weight
|
1620 kg
|
1560 kg
|
1500 kg
|
Weight distribution
|
44:56
|
44:56
|
42:58
|
Engine
|
V10, dohc, 4v/cyl,
VVT, DI.
|
V8, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT, DI, var intake.
|
V10, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT, DI, var intake.
|
Capacity
|
5204 cc
|
4163 cc
|
5204 cc
|
Compression
|
12.5:1
|
12.5:1
|
12.5:1
|
Power
|
525 hp / 8000 rpm
|
420 hp / 7800 rpm
|
560 hp / 8000 rpm
|
Torque
|
391 lbft / 6500 rpm
|
317 lbft / 4500 rpm
|
398 lbft / 6500 rpm
|
Max rev
|
8700 rpm
|
8250 rpm
|
8500 rpm
|
Gearbox
|
6M
|
6M
|
6M
|
Suspensions
|
All: DW
|
All: DW |
All: DW |
Tires
|
F: 235/35ZR19
R: 295/30ZR19 |
F: 235/35ZR19
R: 295/30ZR19 |
F: 235/35ZR19
R: 295/30ZR19
|
Brakes (F/R)
|
380mm / 356mm
|
380mm / 356mm
|
365mm / 356mm
|
Top speed
|
196 mph
|
187 mph
|
202 mph
|
0-60 mph
|
3.8 sec
|
4.4 sec
|
3.6 sec
|
EU consumption
|
20.6 mpg (R-tronic)
|
20.7 mpg (R-tronic)
|
20.6 mpg (E-gear)
|
|
9 Dec, 2008
|
| Ford Focus RS |
More specifications of the forthcoming Ford Focus RS has been revealed.
Its 2.5-liter five-pot turbo engine will produce 300 horsepower as
expected, but maximum torque will be 324 lb-ft, 22 lb-ft more than
previously announced. Its performance will be awesome: 161 mph top
speed, 0-60 mph in less than 5.6 seconds.
|
3 Dec, 2008
|
| Industry News |
Big 3 rescue plan
submitted to Washington DC
Never before the Detroit Big 3 car makers have faced such a big
challenge. Their financial condition worsened a lot during this year
because of both the malfunction of credit market and the sharp drop in
automobile sales. Without government bailout, they are likely to go
bankrupt soon and cost millions of jobs in the automotive industry.
Even if only one of them collapse, it will drag down countless of
suppliers and eventually the other two. To persuade the congress to
provide financial bailout, the Big 3 have submitted their rescue plans
to Washington DC yesterday. Here below is a summary what they will do:
GM
GM will need US$18 billion loan from the government in order to prevent
from bankruptcy. In particular, some $4 billion must be available
within this month, showing how alarming its cash reserve level is.
To persuade the congress to accept its request, GM promises the
following cost cutting measures:
- Reduce
workforce from 95,000 to 65,000-75,000 people
- Reduce
dealerships from 6,450 to 4,700
- Sell
Saab division
- Sell
Hummer division
- Sell
or eliminate Saturn division
- Downsize
Pontiac to a niche brand
- Negotiate
with UAW to cut labour benefits
- CEO
Rick Wagoner will receive $1 salary - yes, one US dollar.
Ford
The financial condition of Ford is healthier than both GM and Chrysler.
It predicts it will have enough cash to survive until the end of next
year. While it is seeking a government loan of US$9 billion, it hopes
the loan will not be actually used. Ford forecasts its balance sheet
will return to black in year 2011 through the following cost cutting
measures:
- Close
6 plants in the next 3 years
- Sell
Volvo division
- Negotiate
with UAW to cut labour costs
- CEO
Alan Mulally will receive $1 salary – yes, the same as his GM
counterpart.
- Sell
the company’s 5 corporate aircrafts
Chrysler
Similar to GM, the Cerberus-owned Chrysler needs money within this
month to be safe from bankruptcy. The exact figure is US$7 billion.
Besides, it also wants another US$6 billion from the government funding
for green vehicles. For cost cut, Chrysler did not give details, only
mentioning it will rationalise production, forge partnership with other
car makers to share platforms and pay its CEO Bob Nardelli a salary of
$1 – yes, the same as Rick Wagoner and Alan Mulally.
If your company look for a cheap yet hardworking CEO, you can look no
further than Detroit. Yes, they do sometimes take corporate aircrafts
to meetings and vacation, but these smart guys can get you billions of
free government money.
US sales slide in
November
The
US auto market is experiencing the most severe sales decline in recent
decades. In November, the total sales for all makers dropped 11 percent
compare with October, or 37% compare with a year ago. In particular, GM
dropped 41%, Chrysler 47% and Ford 31%. Even the Japanese could not
escape from sharp decline – Toyota slid 34%, Honda 32% and Nissan 42%.
Hyundai group suffered a 39% drop. Porsche lost 48% of sales,
reflecting luxury sports cars are hit heavily by economy. Among the big
car makers, only Volkswagen group (including Audi) dropped by less than
30 percent, which was 21%.
GM: -41%
Ford: -31%
Chrysler: -47%
Toyota: -34%
Honda: -32%
Nissan: -42%
Mazda: -31%
Mitsubishi: -35%
Subaru: -8%
Suzuki: -46%
Hyundai group: -39%
VW group: -21%
BMW group: -27%
Mercedes: -38%
Porsche: -48%
|
3 Dec, 2008
|
| Fisker Karma |
The automotive is full of cuts, reductions and cancels these days. One
rare exception is Fisker Karma. This plug-in hybrid 4-door sports sedan
will be shown in next month’s Detroit show in production form and
promise to reach dealers in November 2009. It is developed by the
company founded by ex-Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, who seemed
capable of getting solid funding from investors even in this economic
turbulence. Production will be responsible by Finnish manufacturer
Valmet (which produces Porsche Boxster and Cayman until now) with an
expected rate of 15,000 units per year. The car is priced at US$88,000,
very reasonable for what it offers.
The Karma has an aluminium spaceframe chassis and bodyshell enclosing
two electric motors with 408hp output in total, a 22.6kWh battery
(mainly located at the large transmission tunnel) and a GM 2.0-liter
Ecotec direct injection turbo engine good for 260hp. The latter comes
from Pontiac Solstice GXP. In standard, power saving mode, the car can
top only 95 mph. In Sport mode, full current will be released to the
motors to enable 125 mph top speed and 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds. It
could have been faster if not weighing some 2100 kg.
|
3 Dec, 2008
|
| Audi A5 / S5 Cabriolet |
Audi’s Cabriolet used to be based on A4 and S4. Following the
introduction of the A5 / S5 coupe, Ingolstadt no longer need to modify
the A4 / S4 into 2-door for the use by Cabriolet. This mean the new
generation Cabriolet is based on A5 / S5 instead. Predictably, it will
enjoy a classier market positioning and command a higher price.
The new A5 and S5 Cabriolet does not follow BMW 3-Series Cabriolet to
use retractable metal hardtop. It continues to favour the lightweight
and space saving advantages of fabric roof. The 3-layer roof should
provide good insulation of heat and noise, and it is quick to store and
raise, taking 15 and 17 seconds respectively. When the roof is stored,
the boot still measures 320 liters, much more than BMW’s 210 liters.
This expand to 380 liters when the roof is up. To protect the
passengers from rollover, it has two spring-loaded aluminium rollover
bars which pop up from behind the rear passenger seats during rollover.
The mechanical aspect of the Cabriolet is more or less the same as the
coupe. In Europe it will be available with 7 engines (160hp 1.8 TFSI,
180hp 2.0 TFSI,
211hp 2.0 TFSI Valvelift, 265hp 3.2 V6 FSI Valvelift, 333hp 3.0 TFSI
supercharged V6 for S5 Cabriolet, 190hp 2.7 TDI V6 and 240hp 3.0 TDI
V6). Note that the S5 Cabriolet has switched to new supercharged V6
while the S5 coupe will continue to adopt the existing 354hp 4.2 V8 for
one more year. Of course, the heavier Cabriolet will be slightly slower
than its coupe equivalents.
|
2 Dec, 2008
|
| Industry News |
Ford finally
admits it want to sell Volvo
I knew it would happen ! Early this year Ford CEO Alan Mulally
instructed its Volvo division to differentiate more from Ford’s
products in the future. Only the naives would really believe that it
was a decision to upgrade its challenge to German premium brands. In
fact, Ford was preparing to spin off its loss-making but still valuable
Swedish division. Now Mulally finally admitted he is considering
selling Volvo. "Given the unprecedented external challenges facing Ford
and the entire industry, it is prudent for Ford to evaluate options for
Volvo," said Mulally in a statement. Selling Volvo will help (a little
bit) to secure the US government bailout money.
Volvo is the last survivor of the ex-Premium Automotive Group (PAG)
established by Wolfgang Reitzle. The other members, Aston Martin,
Jaguar and Land Rover, were sold already. In the first 3 quarters this
year, Volvo made a loss of about US$0.7 billion. It has already cut
4,000 positions this year.
It is unknown yet who will be the new owner of Volvo. The Swedish
commercial vehicle Volvo Group, ex-owner of the Volvo Cars, has
revealed no interest to buy it back. Possible buyers may include
Renault-Nissan, Hyundai and various Chinese car makers.
Jobs cut at Aston
and Rolls-Royce
Economic crisis hits luxury car makers hard. Seeing its sales dropped
by 30 percent in recent months, Aston Martin decided to cut 600 jobs,
or one-third of its workforce in UK. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is also
slashing 40 temporary jobs at its Goodwood factory.
|
|