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7 Mar, 2009
Koenigsegg Quant


Making just one line of supercar is not enough to secure your future, even that car is as good as Koenigsegg CCXR. To grow into a sustainable enterprise, Koenigsegg needs a larger volume second model. So here comes the NLV Koenigsegg Quant. It is a joint venture between Koenigsegg and Swiss research company NLV Solar, that explains why you can see this car from both websites.

The Quant is a 4-seater performance car. It gets two large gullwing doors which give access to both front and rear seats. Its smooth body shell, with Cd 0.27, is made of a mixture of carbon-fiber and aluminum, while the chassis is carbon-fiber like the existing Koenigsegg. This car is quite big, measuring 4.88 meters long and 3.1 meters in wheelbase. It is also unexpectedly heavy at 1780 kg, which you will see why soon.

The car is powered by two AC induction motors driving the rear wheels. Yes, it is a pure electric car. The combined output is 512 horsepower and 527 lb-ft of torque. Performance claims is 171 mph (275 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.2 seconds. Seems too modest for its power-to-weight ratio.

What does NLV contribute to the car ? The answer is its FAES (Flow Accumulated Energy Storage) technology. Quant does not use conventional battery but the revolutionary FAES device. Few people know exactly its theory, but it is believed to use electrochemical reaction to store and release electricity. The company claims it provides a range of 500 km (310 miles) and needs only 20 minutes to charge to full - assuming you have a high-output industrial power supply. Such performance is unimaginable for the current generation of Lithium-ion batteries. For example, a Tesla Roadster requires 3.5 hours of charging yet provides a range of only 250 miles, even though that car is 550 kg lighter than the Koenigsegg ! Moreover, FAES seems to have no memory effect and life time constraint.

On the downside, the FAES used in Quant weighs as much as 450 kilograms. This explain the hefty kerb weight of the car. Fortunately, this 450 kg is placed inside the central tunnel and close to the floor to benefit center of gravity.

Another contribution by NLV is its thin-film solar cell technology. The whole body surface of Quant, including glass area, is covered with a thin, invisible layer of photovoltaic cells. They generate electricity under sunlight to supply the electrical peripherals in the cabin. Of course, don't think the solar technology is efficient enough to recharge a flat battery.

The final and most important question is, will this car really make into production ? Honestly speaking, under the current economy no one knows. However, Koenigsegg and NLV wish to produce a running prototype next year and develop it into production car in 2012. If so, it will topple Fisker Karma and occupy the high end of green car market.

Remark: the partnership between Koenigsegg and NLV seems like a carbon copy of Pininfarina and Bollora in their B0 electric city car. Bolloro also contributed its battery technology to the joint-venture. I expect more and more battery technology suppliers will involve car making in the coming electric car era. Apparently, they realize automotive sector will be the most significant area of growth in the future.


7 Mar, 2009
Infiniti Essence


See these photos ! Nissan's new concept car, Infiniti Essence, is definitely a star in Geneva motor show. It is created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Infiniti. Although its project leader made clear it will have no chance to reach production, some of its technologies might see the light in production Nissans in the near future.

The Essence is a classic front-engined rear-drive grand tourer but powered by a 600hp hybrid powertrain. Its engine is a twin-turbo 3.7-liter V6, similar to the one serving GT-R but added with direct fuel injection. Output is reduced slightly to 440 horsepower. A slim, disc-shape electric motor located between the engine and 7-speed automatic gearbox produces another 160 horsepower and especially strong 369 lb-ft of torque. It is supplied by a Li-ion battery located under the boot.

However, the most impressive is still its beauty. Let's enjoy it from more angles...

 







7 Mar, 2009
Zagato Perana Z-One


Less beautiful than the Infiniti, but still characterful is Zagato Perana Z-One. You may find its shape familiar if you remember the late Aston Martin DB7 Zagato. In fact, I found most Zagato designs in recent years are similar. This car is a joint venture between Zagato, who designed and is supposed to build its bodywork, and Perana, a South African company specialized on rebuilding and modifying classic Ford.



The Z-One has a classic steel tubular spaceframe chassis dressed with glass-fiber composite body much the same way as the late TVRs. Its powertrain comes directly from Chevrolet Corvette - 6.2-liter OHV aluminum LS3 V8 with 440hp and 430 lb-ft mates with 6-speed manual gearbox. Compare with the standard Vette, it has a shorter (2540mm) wheelbase, being wider, shorter and lower overall and much lighter at 1195 kg. No wonder it can claim sub-4 seconds for 0-62 mph acceleration and sub-10 for 100 mph.



The Z-One also claims to achieve 50:50 weight distribution. Its massive tires - 275/35ZR18 and 345/30ZR19 Michelin PS2 - should offer astonishing grip. A ZF limited slip differential is standard. If adequately tuned, it won't be difficult to achieve world-class handling.

Zagato and Perana plans to sale up to 999 cars annually in Europe at 50,000 Euro each. However, similar plan was already tried and found failed by Marcos TSO. Therefore I am not as optimistic as they are.


7 Mar, 2009
Lotus Exige S update


Lotus has updated its Exige S with new aerodynamic tweaks. As seen from the picture, the front bumper intakes are enlarged to draw more air to cool the radiator and oil coolers. Deeper lip spoiler also reduces air flow under the car. At the rear, the most obvious change is the new rear wing, now mounted at the tail bodywork instead of the tailgate. Its position is 46 mm higher and 61 mm further back. In addition, the wing is wider by 181mm. As a result, it makes better use of the air flow and allows reduced drag while maintaining the same level of downforce, i.e. 42 kg at 100 mph.

The Exige S with performance pack now has its 1.8-liter supercharged Toyota engine boosted to 240 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 170 lb-ft at 5500 rpm, up from 220 hp and 159 lb-ft. This translate to 145 mph top speed, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and 0-100 mph just under 12 seconds. Simultaneously, fuel consumption improves from 31 to 33.2 mpg (EU combined cycle), while carbon-dioxide emission is reduced from 216 g to 199 g per kilometer. Lotus did not explain how this is achieved.

The performance pack also adds more powerful AP Racing brakes, with 4-pot calipers and 308mm cross-drilled front discs, as well as launch control and variable traction control.


4 Mar, 2009
Geneva motor show
By this time I believe you have already read many teaser photos, rumors and brief pictures / info of the show cars well before the opening of Geneva motor show. These days the marketing guys of car makers know how to stimulate public interest and maximize their exposure to the mass media. Instead of releasing full details and pictures at one time, they release bits by bits to tempt you, to steal the headlines as many days as possible, and by the way to waste our time. I hate these tricks, so I decided AutoZine should not report the cars until full details (or at least the majority of details) have been released. Only in this way we can have an objective and good understanding of the cars. Only in this way we (automotive journalists) can keep our independent judgement and prevent from being used by car makers. Now let’s start our Geneva tour…

4 Mar, 2009
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce


Many people believe this could be the final version of Murcielago. LP670-4 SV (Super Veloce), as its name suggested, boosts 670hp (up 30hp), retains 4-wheel drive and is Super Fast, of course. It is a limited edition run of 350 cars, although that amount is enough for a full year’s production of Murcielago series. No price has been announced, but expect to pay a premium of 15-20% over the standard LP640.

Following the tradition of SV (which began with Miura and last appeared in Diablo), LP670-4 SV achieves higher performance from 3 areas – higher tuned engine, weight reduction and increased downforce. We start from the latter. You can easily identify a LP670-4 SV by its aggressive aerodynamic aids. Up front it has more pronounced lip spoilers around the enlarged cooling intakes. At the back are two large diffusers. At both sides there are larger skirts and air intakes, both are left unpainted in black carbon-fiber. Ditto the huge carbon-fiber rear spoiler, now fixed at the tail to save weight. Lamborghini offers two choices of rear spoiler, a smaller one enables 212 mph top speed (same as LP640 yet achieves higher downforce), or a larger one produces even more downforce at the price of top speed, which is 209 mph.



Both versions accelerate faster than LP640. 0-60 mph now takes 3.1 seconds, 0.2 sec less than LP640 and Reventon. This is purely down to the more powerful engine and less weight. The V12 engine now sits under a new design bonnet made of carbon-fiber. It is visible through 3 hexagonal windows made of polycarbonate. The engine is basically the same 6.5-liter unit in the standard car, with dual-VVT and 3-stage variable intake system. However, it gets revised valve timing, higher valve lift and a new exhaust system. The result is 670 horsepower at 8000 rpm (LP640: 640hp at 8000rpm). Predictably, the more aggressive valve timing and lift does not benefit bottom end torque. While maximum value remains unchanged at 487 lb-ft, its peak arrives at 6500 rpm, 500 rpm higher than before.

Never mind, because the engine now needs to cope with less weight – some 100 kg has been cut from the 1665 kg dry weight of LP640. The weight reduction are evenly distributed in different areas – 20 kg from the tubular steel chassis (thanks to the use of super high-strength steel, which also increases torsional rigidity of the chassis by 12 percent), 13 kg from the body work (thanks to the use of fixed rear spoiler instead of electrically adjustable one, also more extensive use of carbon-fiber, which covers the whole bodywork except doors and roof which are still made of steel for crash safety), 26 kg from the engine (mainly down to lighter exhaust system), 7 kg from transmission and 34 kg from the interior. The latter includes carbon-fiber floor and transmission tunnel, carbon-fiber bucket seats, Alcantara and carbon fiber trim (instead of leather) and the lack of sound / navigation system.



Less changes were made elsewhere. The transmission continues to be E-gear as standard, with optional 6-speed manual. Carbon ceramic brakes and Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires are standard. No changes have been mentioned for suspensions and traction system, but the lighter weight and increased downforce should make it handles sharper than before.

4 Mar, 2009
Aston Martin One-77


Aston Martin previously showed its new flagship supercar One-77 only in the form of computer graphic. Following a prototype is unveiled at Geneva, it is a step closer to production.

Although final specifications of the car is still unfinished, the prototype shows its chassis architecture is closer to race cars than the existing VH platform. Aston said it is inspired by DTM cars, which is evident in its carbon-fiber tub and suspension system. The lightweight carbon-fiber tub is built by composite expert MTC. It connects to front and rear subframes made of aluminium, which provide mountings for engine and suspensions. All suspensions are double-wishbone type. They employ racing-style horizontal springs and dampers and are fully adjustable, the latter will allow Aston to tailor-tune every car up to the individual taste of its customer. Enclose all these are handcrafted aluminium body panels.



Full details of the V12 engine has not been released. We only know that it is heavily reworked by Cosworth Engineering, stretching its capacity to 7.3 liters. Final calibration is undergoing, but Aston is confident that it will produce at least 700 horsepower. Equally encouraging is that the new V12 is a good 25 percent lighter than the existing unit despite of its larger capacity. (Admittedly, the current V12 is quite overweight as it was constructed by combining two Ford Duratec V6.) From the view point of weight distribution, the new V12 is also a massive improvement from the old one. It is not only mounted 257mm behind the front axle line but also 100mm lower in the chassis, thanks to switching to dry-sump lubrication.

The transmission is a new generation robotized 6-speed sequential manual gearbox, again mounted at the rear as part of the transaxle. Other technical details include carbon-ceramic brakes, huge 20-inch alloy wheels, wide Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires (255/30ZR20 front and 335/30ZR20 rear) and shock absorbers with DSSV (dynamic suspension spool valve) technology.

Aston targets at a low kerb weight of 1500 kg, top speed in excess of 200 mph and 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. However, the £1.1 million price will be hard to swallow in this economy, even though it plans to limit production to 77 cars.


4 Mar, 2009
Audi TT RS


The fans of Audi has been waiting for this car too long. After 3 years on the market, Audi TT family is finally completed with the hottest model, TT RS.

Sitting above the TT S, which is already hot with a 272hp 2.0 turbo engine, the RS version offers even stronger power and performance, of course. Open the bonnet, you will see a turbocharged 2.5-liter straight-5 engine. Yes, Audi is finally bringing back its trademark five-pot engine which made its Ur Quattro famous in the early 1980s ! Hopefully the characterful exhaust note will return. Displacing 2480cc, the five-pot engine is clearly a derivative of the 1984cc four-cylinder engine in the existing Volkswagen range, or a distant relative to the same capacity inline-5 engine used by Volkswagen Jetta in the US market.

For sure, the RS engine is very different from Jetta’s. It has dual variable valve timing, direct fuel injection, a high performance intercooler and a large turbocharger producing up to 1.2 bar of boost. Brilliantly, the compression ratio is still a relatively high 10.0:1, contributing to good bottom end torque delivery. All pistons and con-rods are lightweight items. Note that its cylinder block is made of vermicular-graphite cast iron instead of cast aluminum in other Volkswagen four cylinder engines because the latter will fail to withstand the high stress of this powerful turbocharged engine. Compare with conventional cast iron, vermicular-graphite cast iron offers higher strength and lighter weight, if not as light as aluminum.



If you are impressed by Ford Focus RS’ 305hp 2.5 five-pot engine, now think twice. Audi’s engine topples it with 340 horsepower. If you think it must be achieved in the price of tractability, think again. Maximum torque is 332 lb-ft from 1600-5300 rpm, clearly better than Ford’s 324 lb-ft from 2300-4500 rpm. It is simply incredible !

The TT RS weighs 1450kg, some 90kg more than TT S but still a relatively lightweight for its power. This enable Audi to claim giant-killing performance: it takes only 4.5 seconds to go from 0-60 mph. If you request Audi to disable its 155 mph speed limiter, it will flat out at 174 mph on Autobahn. Call it a mini R8 !

To cope with the higher performance, the chassis and body are also given some upgrades. More aggressive front lip spoilers and a fixed rear spoiler improve stability at speed. Cornering is enhanced by 10mm lower ride height, stiffer suspension setup (magnetic adjustable dampers are still optional) and the use of 245/45ZR18 tires. The larger wheels accommodate powerful brakes measuring 370mm at front and 310mm at the rear.

However, fans of Porsche Cayman S do not need to be too worry. Reason One, the Quattro 4WD with Haldex multi-plate clutch is still a primarily front-biased system, which means drive is sent to the rear wheels only when the front wheels cannot cope with. This means no matter its dynamic balance or steering feel will not match the mid-engined Porsche. Reason Two, the TT RS is mandatory to use a 6-speed manual gearbox as its S-Tronic box cannot withstand its strong output. People may therefore prefer the PDK dual-clutch box of Porsche.


4 Mar, 2009
Aston Martin Lagonda concept


Shocked ! We heard Aston Martin will revive its Lagonda marque, but we expected the first Lagonda to be a luxury saloon instead of this SUV crossover ! The Marek Reichman-designed Lagonda concept has a radical bulldog face that only its father could love. Nevertheless, Ulrich Bez claims its production version will help Aston to expand into many emerging markets that it is not presented today.



The concept car is a 4-seater. Its chassis and 4WD drivetrain is based on Mercedes GL-class as the two companies have agreed on technical collaboration earlier. Engine is Aston’s own V12, but it could be changed to Mercedes hybrid V8 in production. No more technical details could be released because it is still a concept to test the water. Base on the negative reaction from Geneva crowds, it seems Marek Reichman need to go back to drawing board before it could see the light again. Even if it get the go-ahead, it will take at least three years to develop.


4 Mar, 2009
Ferrari 599XX


A couple of years ago Ferrari produced the FXX track car based on its Enzo. Now its position is taken up by 599XX, which is obviously derived from 599GTB. Like its forerunner, the very limited number of 599XX will be sold to the keenest Ferrari customers but no one would be allow to take them home. These cars will be stored at Maranello and taken care by its technicians. Their "owners" will be given track time in Fiorano or other circuits to exploit their performance. What most tempting to them is the opportunity to try the latest technology of Maranello, because 599XX will be used as test bed for the next generation technology to be applied to Ferrari's production cars.

As the car is not designed to undergo homologation, Ferrari can tune its V12 engine to the extreme - some 700 horsepower can be extracted at 9000 rpm. It also employs lighter materials such as carbon-fiber intake plenum and others Ferrari would not reveal. The F1 Superfast gearbox is once gain quickened, now taking only 60ms for each gearshift, the same as 430 Scuderia and 40ms faster than the standard 599GTB. However, most experimental technologies involve aerodynamics, such as the "Actiflow" adjustable aerodynamic aid which utilizes a porous material at the rear diffusers and two electric fan to draw air from the diffuser to extra outlets at the tail, hence altering downforce and drag according to needs.


4 Mar, 2009
Spyker C8 Aileron


You might remember last year we reported that Spyker, the loss-making Dutch sports car specialist, signed an agreement with Lotus Engineering, employing the latter to re-engineer its cars. Now the first fruit is C8 Aileron, or you may call it the second generation C8.

Based on the original design of C8, the new car has streamlined its shape for better aerodynamics (especially downforce) and enlarged the front radiator grille for improved cooling. The LED enhanced headlights are also new. What it didn't and needn't change is the gorgeous interior, which is still one of the most delicious in the sports car industry.

The aluminum spaceframe chassis was completely reworked by Lotus. It gets an extra 150 mm in wheelbase to improve interior space and another 155 mm at the front track for improved handling. Moreover, torsional rigidity has been increased considerably to 22,000 Nm/degree.

While suspensions are still classic double-wishbones, they are actually all-new design, with new geometry, dampers and weight-saving forged aluminum arms. The 19-inch alloy wheels have a new, "Rotorblade" design. Rear rubbers are widened from 265/30 to 295/30. Hopefully these modifications will tame the tricky handling of the old car.

These refinements come at a price - the C8 now weighs 1425 kg, an increase of 200 kg. This make the unchanged Audi V8 engine (4.2-liter and 400hp) and
Getrag 6-speed manual gearbox less remarkable. Despite that, Spyker still quotes the same performance figures, i.e. 187 mph top speed and 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds.



4 Mar, 2009
Bentley Continental Supersports


What would you call a Bentley Continental that is faster than the current 202 mph Continental Speed ?

A. Continental Speedier
B. Continental Lightning
C. Continental Supersports

I definitely would not choose C, because the term "Supersports" usually refer to those lightweight track-oriented specials. A high-speed grand tourer has nothing to do with the moniker "SS". Unfortunately, Bentley obviously misunderstood the meaning of this word.

Continental Supersports is a performance upgrade from the Continental Speed. By lifting turbocharger boost pressure and improving cooling to intercoolers, the twin-turbo W12 engine produces 20 more horsepower to make a total 630 hp at 6000 rpm. Maximum torque increases from 553 lb-ft to 590 lb-ft between 1700 and 5600 rpm. As a result, top speed is lifted to 204 mph. Besides, the engine has been modified to allow both petrol and E85 bio fuel in order to stop criticism for its environmental unfriendly emission level.

While a 2 mph improvement isn't much, the acceleration is definitely more satisfying. The Speed model takes 4.2 seconds to go from 0-60 mph. The SS improves that by a significant 0.5 seconds to only 3.7 seconds. 0-100 mph is reduced to 8.9 seconds. This is made possible not only by the increased engine output but also a weight reduction of 110 kilograms and a 50% quicker "Quickshift" pattern available on the revised ZF 6-speed auto.

The weight reduction is mainly contributed by lighter wheels (10kg), standard ceramic brakes (20kg), lightweight seats (45kg) and the deletion of the not-so-useful rear seats. The latter is replaced by a parcel shelf. Reduced weight aside, handling is also improved by changing the front-to-rear torque split of the four-wheel-drive system from 50:50 to a rear-biased 40:60, which should reduce understeer. The rear track is widened by 50mm by pushing the wheels outward. The front suspensions, adaptive damping calibration and steering mechanism are also revised to aid handling. This mean the Continental SS should corner sharper than the previous car. Still, I won't call the 2240 kg machine as "Supersports".

4 Mar, 2009
Volkswagen Polo Mk5


The 5th generation Volkswagen Polo makes debut in Geneva motor show. It arises no surprises because it follows the traditional core values of Polo. The styling, for example, is an evolution of the last car, emphasizes maturity and quality instead of fun. The front end designs adopts similar treatment to Golf VI and Scirocco, which makes it even more like a mini Golf now. Inside, the cabin may disappoint in style or creativity, but it should excel in quality and ease of use like other Volkswagen products. It also offers slightly improved rear legroom and front shoulder room.



Based on the group’s PQ25 platform first seen at SEAT Ibiza, the new Polo is slightly larger than the last one – 36mm longer, 32mm wider but 13mm lower. Front and rear tracks are 30mm wider. Volkswagen claimed its body weight has been reduced by 7.5 percent compare with the last generation but did not specify the change in overall weight. Anyway, it guarantees a Euro NCAP 5-star crash rating. There is no big change in suspension, steering and transmission layout. 7 engines are offered at launch, they are:

Petrol:
1.2-liter 3-cylinder 6V: 60hp
1.2-liter 3-cylinder 12V: 70hp
1.4-liter 4-cylinder 16V: 85hp
1.2-liter TSI 4-cylinder 16V direct injection turbo: 105hp

Diesel:
1.6 TDI turbo: 75hp
1.6 TDI turbo: 90hp
1.6 TDI turbo: 105hp



Note that all diesel engines now employ common-rail injection instead of the outgoing pump-injection. Next year will arrive a super frugal BlueMotion with 1.2 TDI three-pot diesel turbo engine, automatic start-stop, low drag treatment, low rolling resistance tire and regenerative braking to achieve 85 mpg and only 87 g/km of CO2 emission.


4 Mar, 2009
Mazda 3 MPS


If you are not fond of the current Mazda 3 MPS (Mazdaspeed 3), you are unlikely to be impressed by the new generation either. It looks too tamed and boring inside and outside compare with most other performance hot hatches. More disappointing, it does not boost any higher performance than its predecessor. This is because it continues to employ the existing 2.3-liter direct injection turbo engine with maximum output 260 hp and 280 lb-ft. Performance figures are completely identical to the old car, i.e., 155 mph top speed and 0-60 mph takes 5.8 seconds. Such level of performance was deemed to be good for the last generation, but today we have a 305hp Ford Focus RS...





4 Mar, 2009
Renault Megane RS


Following the introduction of Megane III, its Renault Sport (RS) version has also been unveiled. As before, its power comes from a 2.0-liter 16V turbocharged engine, now produces 250hp (up 20hp from the outgoing Megane R26) and 251 lb-ft of torque (up 22 lb-ft).



Other aspects are predictable: 6-speed manual box, a retuned power steering, a two-axis front suspension system (to reduce kingpin offset hence torque steer) and beefed up suspensions. The latter offers two choices - the more comfortable standard setup and the stiffer Cup setup. Cup package also include a LSD.



My biggest problem with the car is its messy front end styling. Why does Renault bring back the old-fashioned black bumper ? Why does it need a bonnet so much higher than others ?

4 Mar, 2009
Ugly Duck: Renault Clio RS facelift


See what Renault has done on its Clio ! The so-called “facelift” ruins its pretty face, making it looks messy, odd and cheap. What’s wrong with Patrick Le Quement and his team ? Since Laguna III, they have been creating uglier and uglier designs. No wonder Renault suffers from decreasing market share in Europe !

The unfortunate facelift affects not only the regular Clio but also the flagship Renault Sport (RS) version. In the mechanical side, however, the RS received some subtle improvements. Firstly, the revised front end cuts drag by 3 percent, which lifts its top speed from 139 to 141 mph. Secondly, the engine is recalibrated to produce a full 200 hp, 3 horses up from the old car. Max torque is unchanged but now arrives 150 rpm earlier. Thirdly, the gearbox is modified to shorten the first 3 gear ratios to improve low-end response. Lastly, the suspensions receive double-acting dampers to improve high-speed ride and a slightly stiffer front anti-roll bar to reduce body roll.

As before, there is a Cup package for hardcore drivers. It includes 7mm lower ride height, stiffer damping and faster steering. If you can forgive its looks, Clio RS and Cup are still the most exciting hot hatch in the B-segment.


4 Mar, 2009
Opel Ampera


It's no secret that Chevrolet Volt needs more derivatives to share its expensive development costs, so here comes its Opel version, Ampera. Technically it is the same as Volt, but styling-wise it is obviously more interesting.




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