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31 May, 2009
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| Magna beats FIAT to buy Opel |
The uncertainty surrounding Opel has been cleared: Magna has beat FIAT
to get the greenlight from German government for the purchase. Fnal
details of the deal is yet to be released, but insiders revealed Magna
will take only 20% stakes in the new Opel, while its bidding partner,
Sberbank, will take 35%. GM will reduce its sole ownership to 35%. The
remaining 10% will go to Opel employees.
Canada-based Magna is currently the third largest automotive component
supplier in the world, after Japan's Denso and Germany's Bosch. Unlike
its competitors, it also takes part in contract manufacturing through
its Austrian subsidiary Magna-Steyr, which builds BMW X3, Mercedes
G-class and some European Chrysler and Jeep models. Magna believes that
car industry could run like computer or mobile phone industry in the
future, which means manufacturers will concentrate on design and
marketing, leaving production to contract manufacturers (OEM).
Therefore it aims to use Opel to produce cars for other companies.
Most of the 700 million Euro investment will actually come from
state-owned Russian bank Sberbank, which also owns GAZ, the No. 2 car
maker in Russia. The deal will allow GAZ to produce Opel designs
locally.
Magna succeeded to beat FIAT because it guaranteed to shut down none of
the 4 existing Opel factories in Germany. While it planned to cut 20%
of the 55,000-strong workforce of Opel / Vauxhall in Europe, only 2,500
will come from Germany. This is especially appealing to German
politicians, which need to save jobs for the forthcoming election. As
the sale needs government financing, including 1.5 billion Euro of
bridging loan and 4.5 billion Euro credit, the government has the final
say.
Unfortunately, this mean closure is almost certain for other GME
plants, most likely the UK plants Ellesmere Port and Luton and the
Antwerp plant in Belgium. Zaragoza plant (Spain) and Gliwice
plant (Poland) may survive thanks to their cost advantage.
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27 May, 2009
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| BMW 5-Series GT production spec |
In Feburary, we reported BMW 5-Series GT in concept form. Now
the production car has been officially released. The following is a
summary of its features:
Body and chassis:
- Despite the 5-Series name, based on 7-Series with the same wheelbase
and width.
- Height and hip point are midway between 7-Series and X6.
- Double-acting hatchback door like Skoda Superb.
- Heavy, from 1940 to 2060 kg.
Engines and
transmission:
- 530d GT:
730d's 245hp 3.0 inline-6 turbo diesel.
- 535i GT:
3.0 inline-6 turbo with 306hp and 295 lb-ft. Sounds like the existing
335i engine, but actually not. Codenamed N55B30 instead of N54B30, it
added Valvetronic and replaced twin-turbo with a single, but
twin-scroll turbocharger. No worry of turbo lag, because max torque
actually arrives 100 rpm earlier at 1200 rpm.
- 550i GT:
750i's 408hp 4.4 twin-turbo V8.
- Transmission: all engines mate with ZF 8-speed automatic. No option
for manual gearbox.
Chassis technology:
- Continous adaptive damping
- Active anti-roll bars
- Self-leveling air suspension for rear axle to offset luggage load.
- Active rear-wheel steering
- Dynamic Drive Control, which alter damping stiffness, throttle
response, gearshift speed and steering effort.
 
Interior:
- 4 or 5-seating layout
- Same dashboard as 7-Series
- Same luxury equipments as 7-Series
- Just more space and luggage versatility
 
Bottom line
Expect to be as expensive as 7-Series.
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530d GT
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535i GT
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550i GT
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Length
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4998 mm
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4998 mm
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4998 mm
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Width
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1901 mm
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1901 mm
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1901 mm
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Height
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1559 mm
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1559 mm
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1559 mm
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Wheelbase
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3070 mm
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3070 mm
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3070 mm
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Engine
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Inline-6, dohc, 4v/cyl,
CDI, VTG turbo. |
Inline-6, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT, Valvetronic, DI, twin-scroll
turbo.
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V8, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT, DI, twin-turbo.
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Capacity
|
2993 cc
|
2979 cc
|
4395 cc
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Power
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245 hp
|
306 hp
|
408 hp
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Torque
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398 lbft
|
295 lbft
|
442 lbft
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Gearbox
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8A
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8A
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8A
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Tires (F/R)
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All: 245/50ZR18
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All: 245/50ZR18 |
245/50ZR19 /
275/50ZR19 |
Weight
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1960 kg
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1940 kg
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2060 kg
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Top speed
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149 mph
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155 mph
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155 mph
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0-60 mph
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6.6 sec
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6.0 sec
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5.3 sec
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20 May, 2009
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| Volkswagen Scirocco R |
Scirocco R is the performance flagship of the Scirocco range, one that
sits above the existing 200hp 2.0 TSI. Unlike previous R models such as
Golf R32, the R version of Scirocco forgoes 4-wheel drive and V6 engine
in an attempt to cut weight, emission and cost. Replacing the V6 is a
high-boost version of EA113 2.0-liter FSI turbo engine, which comes
straight from Audi S3. It pumps out 265 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of
torque, enabling 155 mph top speed and 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds when
mated with DSG gearbox (6-speed manual takes 0.1 second more).
At an estimated price of £25,000, Scirocco R will inevitably
compete with Ford Focus RS. The table below shows that it is
significantly lighter and greener, but the Ford is clearly more
powerful and faster in straight line.
Scirocco R's handling will be benefited by its low center of gravity
(it gets even lower ride height than other Sciroccos), wide stance,
stiffer springs and dampers, electronic adaptive damping, XDS
electronic brake differential*, 235/40R18 tires and pizza-size brakes.
However, it lacks the Ford's sophisticated front suspensions and
limited slip differential, so it will be difficult to match the latter
in the twisty.
* Remark: electronic brake differential is not a real mechanical
differential. It actually utilizes braking to transfer more power to
the desired front wheel. For example, when the inside wheel is spinning
in tight cornering, it applies braking to that wheel, thus stopping
wheel spin and transfer power to the outside front wheel.
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Volkswagen Scirocco R
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Ford Focus RS |
Layout
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Front-engined, FWD
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Front-engined, FWD |
Length
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4264 mm
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4402 mm
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Width
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1810 mm
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1842 mm
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Height
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1394 mm
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1497 mm
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Wheelbase
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2578 mm
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2640 mm
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Engine
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Inline-4, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT,
DI, turbo. |
Inline-5, dohc, 4v/cyl, VVT, turbo.
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Capacity
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1984 cc
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2521 cc
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Max boost
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1.2 bar
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1.4 bar
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Power
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265 hp / 6000 rpm
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305 hp / 6500 rpm
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Torque
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258 lbft / 2500-5000 rpm
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324 lbft / 2300-4500 rpm
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Gearbox
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6-speed DSG
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6M
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Suspensions (F/R)
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Strut / multi-link,
adaptive damping. |
RevoKnuckle strut / multi-link |
Tires
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235/40R18
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235/35ZR19 |
Brakes (F/R)
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345 / 310 mm
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336 / 302 mm |
Weight
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1353 kg
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1467 kg
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Top speed
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155 mph (limited)
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163 mph
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0-60 mph
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6.1 sec
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5.6 sec
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EU fuel consumption
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34.4 mpg
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30 mpg
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CO2 emission
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192 g/km
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225 g/km
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Price (UK)
|
est £25,000 (6M)
|
£25,000
|
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20 May, 2009
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| US raised fuel economy standard |
This could be seen as a great victory for environmentalists.
Yesterday US president Barrack Obama announced the Federal fuel economy
standard (CAFÉ) will be raised from 27.3 mpg in MY2011 to 35.5
mpg in MY2016, or 5 percent increase annually. This mean cars and light
trucks will need to meet 42 mpg and 26 mpg respectively. Compare with
the current MY2010 standard, cars need to improve fuel economy (and
therefore greenhouse gas emission) by around 35 percent.
Similar attempts by the Bush government used to be objected by
Detroit’s car makers. However, as they are now receiving government
bailout, they no longer oppose to the new requirement.
The higher new standard has got support from states which used to adopt
their own higher standards, such as California. As a result, these
states will adopt the Federal standard, unifying the requirements
across the USA.
|
20 May, 2009
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| Daimler takes stakes in Tesla |
| Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) has taken 10% stakes in the
struggling Tesla as part of its strategy to build electric cars. It
will use Lithium-ion batteries and power electronics developed by Tesla
to power its forthcoming Smart Fortwo EV. Two months ago, Daimler
formed a joint-venture with German chemical giant Evonik to produce
batteries, but before that come to fruition it will need Tesla’s
batteries to bridge the gap. These batteries will be used in the first
1,000 Smart EVs to be produced next year. To the German giant, 10%
stakes in the small American company is nothing. |
13 May, 2009
|
| New Opel Astra unveiled |
Although the new generation Opel (and Vauxhall) Astra will not make
debut until this Autumn’s Frankfurt motor show, the company decided to
release the first official pictures and details in order to boost the
morale of its workforce, which has been hurt by its proposed sale to
FIAT or Magna/GAZ.
The new Astra is built on the new generation Delta platform which has
made world debut in Chevrolet Cruze / Daewoo Lacetti. Compare to the
last car, its wheelbase has grown from 2614mm to 2685mm, making it one
of the biggest C-segment European hatchbacks. Its overall length is
also stretched by 110mm to 4400mm. Nevertheless, the mechanical layout
is not a big departure from the last generation. It still rides on
suspensions consisting of MacPherson struts up front and torsion beam
at the rear, although wider tracks and longer wheelbase will surely
benefit its handling and ride. Flexiride electronic adaptive damping is
again available to higher-spec models to compensate for its lack of
independent rear suspensions.
As before, there will be a regular 5-door hatchback and a
sporty-looking 3-door hatch called “GTC”. However, we learn that the
current TwinTop coupe will not be renewed due to its disappointing
sales.
The biggest change lies under the bonnet. Like its European rivals,
Opel is turning to more downsized turbocharged engines to reduce CO2
emission without hurting performance. It will offer the following
engines:
Petrol:
- 1.4-liter 100hp
- 1.4-liter turbo 120hp
- 1.4-liter turbo 140hp
- 1.6-liter turbo 180hp
Diesel:
- 1.3CDTI 95hp
- 1.7CDTI 110hp
- 2.0CDTI 130hp
- 2.0CDTI 160hp
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12 May, 2009
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| AutoZine update: Manufacturers page |
Don't blame me for lazy ! AutoZine did not have much update
in the past few months because I was concentrating on rewritting our
(outdated) manufacturers page. It turned out to be a great deal of
work. The new version has the following improvement:
1.
Individual page for each manufacturer;
2. Photos of company headquarters and historical models;
3. More detailed history;
4. Updated sales figures and ranking;
5. Added Chinese car makers and a few other new car makers.
Click here to visit it.
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1 May, 2009
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| Chrysler filed for bankruptcy...
hopefully a short one |
Chrysler has filed for bankruptcy protection as it failed to reach
agreement with its lenders before the government-set deadline on 30th
Apr. This is the first ever bankruptcy for a Detroit Big 3.
However, in the US, bankruptcy does not mean liquadation. On the
contrary, it will protect Chrysler from its creditors until a final
deal is judged by court. President Obama estimated this bankruptcy will
be short, hopefully within 30-60 days. He also laid down the shape of
the forthcoming reborn Chrysler:
- 55%
stakes owned by Voluntary Employee Beneficiary
Association (VEBA);
- 20% owned by
FIAT;
- 10% owned by US
and Canadian government;
- FIAT could gain
the remaining 15% depending on its contribution level - the first 5%
will be granted after it offered a 40mpg car platform to Chrysler; the
second 5% after it provided a fuel-efficient engine family for Chryler
to produce in US; the last 5% after it gave Chrysler access to its
global distribution network (mainly Europe and South America);
- Chrysler will switch to GMAC for car finance. No more Chrysler
Finance;
- CEO Robert Nardelli and co-president Tom LaSorda will leave the
company.
What we will see during its bankruptcy process:
- Creditors will
be paid by cash, whose amount will be determined by court;
- Chrysler will
stop producing new cars until it emerged from bankruptcy protection;
- Government will
pay for the expenses during its bankruptcy. Warranty will continue.
Employees and suppliers will be paid as usual.
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