Author: yoann besnard

Alfa Romeo set to return to the U.S. next year

At the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance, Maserati North America CEO Jim Selwa announced that Alfa Romeo will return to the U.S. next year selling the exclusive 8C Competizione.
With a price of £108,000/€159,300/$220,000, Alfa Romeo plans to sell 100 cars in the first year via the Maserati dealer network. The car will allow the Italian carmaker to test its popularity among the American consumers. Later it will sell the 159 and the future 167.
The 8c Competizione features the Ferrari/Maserati-derived 4.7-litre V8, which has an output of 443bhp/450hp.
August 6, 2007
Spyshots: Hyundai coupé rear side revealed

Here are some spyshots of the rear side of the upcoming Hyundai coupé. It looks like that this time Hyundai took inspiration from the Infiniti G35 rear as the proportions and design are very similar.
As I reported in a previous post, the Hyundai coupé will use V6 engines issued from the Grandeur saloon. It is also said that the coupé may receive the new V8 engine which will be available in the Genesis.
The new Hyundai coupe will be revealed in March 2008 in South Korea.

Click here to see all the pictures
August 6, 2007
Bugatti Veyron Pegaso

At a time when the simple Mercedes is building thousands of SL-Class every year and Bugatti is increasing its production, owning a unique car is a difficult feat. In response to this, a Russian project developer living in Dubai decided to personalise his Veyron.
Here is the special Pegaso Veyron. Beyond its unique and pleasant colour scheme, the car is said to feature an upgraded engine. It produces about 1,200bhp instead of the official 997bhp.
Click here to see all the pictures
August 6, 2007
Stretched Mondeo to be launched soon

Ford will soon join China’s unique stretched car segment with an extended Mondeo which is currently being worked on. The first picture of the Mondeo was released on a Chinese forum (when?).
The limousine will compete with the Cadillac, Audi and BMW stretched versions, all of which are used as chauffeur-driven cars. The Chinese Cadillac SLS made its public debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Lengthened by 4 inches, it provides additional room for backseat passengers.
BMW also unveiled a stretched 5-Series at the same motor show. With an extra 5.5“ the saloon is actually an inch longer than the 7 Series luxury model. The limousine features a DVD player, an 8-inch monitor and even a refrigerated storage box.
The Audi A6L is the oldest car in the segment and gives us an insight into the Chinese car market. In two years, 61,000 out of 81,000 Audi A6 sold in China had a stretched body. Four inches longer than the normal A6, it was revamped in April. The main changes concerned the rear space. The car is equipped with a new 10” screen and a DVD player.
Source: Chinacartimes
August 6, 2007
Hummer H4

Despite its rather gloomy current circumstances, Hummer is determined to expand its current range by adding a new model. But instead of a gas guzzler, the new off-road will be smaller than the successful H3. Hummer CEO Martin Walsh gave more information to Hummer dealers. The new baby Hummer will target the Jeep Wrangler.
Dubbed HX internally, it will be launched in 2010-2011. In order to fit in better with Hummer’s current naming scheme, the car will probably be called H4. It will not be based on a shortened H3 platform, but rather will reuse the platform of an existing model to cut costs. For this, the Chevrolet Captiva/Vauxhall Antara may be a good choice.
According to insiders, the off-road will feature removable doors and roof panels like the Wrangler. A new smaller off-road is a smart decision but there is still some uncertainty. GM is well known for damaging its brands by sharing platforms and components, though Hummer has so far been spared.
Source: MotorAuthority
August 6, 2007
Pontiac Solstice coupé to be launched next year

According to Automotive News, GM will unveil a coupé version of the Solstice next year.
This comes as no surprise as Bob Lutz said in an interview that it would be “a very logical thing to do”. The surprise comes from the fact that nobody expected the car to be available so soon.
The design will not be different from the Solstice concept car unveiled in 2002 but the engine will be more powerful than the current unit available in the roadster. Unfortunately a V6 engine is unlikely to be used. According to insiders a V6 engine is too heavy and would upset the balance of the car.
August 4, 2007
Land Rover Freelander may produce a seven-seat variant

According to the British car magazine Auto Express, Land Rover will launch a seven-seat version of the Freelander.
Sold in the U.S. under the name LR2, the Freelander has met with great success since it was launched at the 2006 British Motor Show. It quickly became a point of reference in the compact SUV segment, ahead of German competitors. However, Land Rover bosses think the current model may not be enough to resist the assault of new competitors such as the Peugeot 4007 and the Citroën C-Crosser. Citroën UK sold its entire annual quota in less than three months. Renault will join soon the fight with the upcoming Koleos. Soon, the segment will be crowded and the relatively high price of the Freelander will have less appeal to the masses. The new model may be launched within 18 months.
Developing a seven-seat Freelander would seem to be quite a challenge. The boot capacity of the current model is small, especially since the spare tyre is stored in it. One solution may be to extend its length but it would then bear too much similarity to the Discovery. At 177.1 inch long, adding 8 inches to provide enough room for the third row of seats will make it only 5 inches shorter than the Discovery. Likewise, developing this new variant will require investment. Perhaps future buyers will not be ready to accept the potential cost involved.
August 4, 2007
Future Mazda 6 renderings

The website Worldcarfans has released its interpretation of the next Mazda 6 that will be unveiled at the next Frankfurt Motor Show.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the next Mazda 6 will grow in size and in status like the Alfa Romeo did with the 159 model. At the top of the range it will replace the current Duratec 30 V6 engine also found in the Mazda MPV with the more powerful Duratec 35.
Inside, the first spyshots confirm the direction taken by Mazda: it will continue to develop the Zoom Zoom philosophy. Let’s hope it will not become a caricature of itself.
Source: Worldcarfans
August 4, 2007
A new Lamborghini supercar?

If you are not satisfied by the power of the Murcielago LP 640 model, Lamborghini’s engineers are currently working on a new car that will produce more than 700bhp.
No information has been reported on whether the car will be a tuned Murcielago or a new car. A more powerful Murcielago may not be enough at a time when a car specialist like Mercedes is planning to sell a supercar in 2010. Despite its impressive characteristics and constant improvements, the Lamborghini will be nine years old. Thus a new car makes more sense on paper.
Financially, 2007 is a very good year for the Italian carmaker. For the first semester of 2007, it recorded the biggest growth in the Volkswagen group with 1,200 delivered cars. But will it continue at this pace? That is not so sure.
The decision will certainly be made at Audi’s headquarters, which owns Lamborghini. If the German carmaker sees an Audi supercar as a potential foe, there is a big chance that Lamborghini will have a new car. If not, the next Lamborghini supercar may just be a revamped Murcielargo after all.
August 4, 2007
Spyshots: Volkswagen Golf VI

Here are the first spyshots of the Golf VI due to be launched in May 2008. The next generation is set to lift a weight off Volkswagen’s shoulders by cutting production costs and improving reliability.
Do not expect a revolutionary design. The Golf VI will be a re-engineered version of the current model and will probably extend the current engine range. Power will go from 80bhp for the entry-level to 280bhp for the R36 flagship. The real changes will be geared towards the assembly line. According to insiders, the Golf V has a higher production cost than any of its rivals. Though this was not a weakness in the past thanks to the high price tag, justified by advanced technology compared to competitors, the market has not reacted favourably to the Golf V. Therefore, the German carmaker was obliged to review its price policy and settle for a thinner profit margin than originally planned.
When Wolfgang Bernhard joined the VW Group, one of his missions was to revamp the production system in order to cut costs on the Golf VI and, according to different sources the improvements will allow costs to be reduced by £1,300. This does not mean the car will look like a poorer Golf to customers. The next generation will still keep the multi-link rear axle and interior quality will be improved. But will it be enough to make the difference at at time when competitors are making big progress? The new Peugeot 308 interior, for example, is rather impressive.
As I mentioned earlier, do not expect a revolution regarding the design, but the arrival of the new VW brand boss Martin Winterkorn has led to a redesign of the front face. Expect to see a grill that takes inspiration from the Iroc concept car unveiled at the last Paris Motor Show.
August 4, 2007