Author: yoann besnard

ABT AS5
The German tuner ABT has revealed its interpretation of the Audi A5. The car distinguishes itself from the crowd with a two-tone paint scheme. This paint scheme takes inspiration from the 70s sports cars. In addition to the traditional black bonnet, ABT created an original paint theme: cream for all body panels except for the bonnet and boot,which are white. Not everybody will like it, but it emphasises its muscular look.
Under the hood, the 3 litre TDI power jumps from 237 bhp/240 hp to 268 bhp/272 hp. For those who want more power, ABT also offer a 296 bhp/300 hp option.

July 12, 2007
Maybach may build a convertible
Some considerable time ago Maybach developed a open top Maybach 57/62 for a rich Swiss customer. The customer ended up not paying the bill and the car was left at Maybach. The story could have ended there, but it is rumoured that Dieter Zetsche would like to produce a batch of the cars, probably between 25 and 50 units in total. It is likely to be built based on customer order only.

After the Mercedes GL-based SUV, this convertible seems like yet another attempt by Maybach to make itself look ridiculous. Once again, comparisons will be drawn between the German carmaker’s offering and the Rolls Royce. And once again there is no doubt that the British flying lady will triumph.
It is now urgent that Mercedes pays careful attention to Maybach. If they do not, the latter is in danger of becoming the new Saab or Lancia.
July 12, 2007
Mitsubushi reveals more technical details about the next Evo

In anticipation of the official launch at the next Frankfurt motor show, Mitsubishi is continuing to release more details about the next Evo at regular intervals. Compared to the Subaru Impreza, which was not well received, the Evo is rather an appealing compact saloon. We could even go so far as to call it Mitsubishi’s 156 model. Yesterday the carmaker revealed that the new Evo will have a twin-clutch gearbox and an updated four-wheel drive system.
Dubbed the Twin Clutch SST (short for Sport Shift Transmission), the new gearbox will offer the same characteristics as the VW’s gearbox. One clutch will deal with the first, the third and the fifth gears while a second clutch will deal with the second, fourth and sixth gears. The gearbox will offer three modes: city, sport and super-sport.
The current four-wheel drive system has been updated and has a new name, S-AWC (for Super All-Wheel Control). The three differentials are still present but an active stability control, ASC*1has been added to the Active Centre Differential, ACD*2. The ABS system has also been improved, making it sportier. The S-AWC also adds a yaw rate back control.
Coupled with the sporty 2 litre 300 bhp engine, the new twin-clutch gearbox and the updated four-wheel drive system promise to provide a lot of fun.
July 12, 2007
V6 diesel engine for Honda cars

In an interview with Automotive News, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui said that a V6 diesel engine was likely to be built in a near future. The V6 engine will be available in Europe on the Honda Accord’s top version. The Honda Legend may also be equipped with the engine in order to improve its sales in Europe, which have so far been lower than predicted. Honda has also not ruled out the possibility of sell SUVs with the V6 diesel engine.
The engine will also be sold in the U.S. market on the bigger models such as the Honda CR-V, Pilot, Ridgeline, the Acura but also the Element. Honda could import the latter with the V6 engine in Europe. For the smaller models, Honda wants to rely on hybrid technologies.
July 12, 2007
Paulin VR Concept

A previously unknown designer named Daniel Paulin has revealed his first car, at least in virtual terms: the VR Concept. The car is the Paulin’s interpretation of the 2012 performance car. It is stylish, muscular and we love it.
Critics will say that it is not revolutionary. It looks like the Saab Aero X or the 1954 Corvette concept cars, but so what? As a consultant for Hyundai, Kia or Tata, we can hope to see their future models taking inspiration from the VR Concept.
In the past, Daniel Paulin worked for Ford, where he was involved in the design of the Focus Concept, the C-MAx and the funky Fab1 for the Thunderbirds movie.
Click here to see the gallery
July 12, 2007
Skoda increases its sales for the first 2007 semester

Skoda has increased its global sales by 13% for the first six months of 2007. The company sold a total of 311,000 cars worldwide.
The best seller is still the Octavia with 146,772 sales made in 92 countries. The recent launch in China met with great success, with more 6,000 requests registered by dealers in one month. 16,000 new Fabia were sold since its launch a few months ago. This, however, is a low figure if we take into account the Superb model’s sales, which reached 11,000 units despite its old age.
Western Europe remains the core market for the carmaker with over 173,000 sales, 12% more than last year. Central and Eastern Europe is the second biggest market for Skoda with a total sales figure of 115,960 cars for the first six months of 2007.
Considered an upper-brand in India, Skoda sold 5,913 cars, almost all of which were Octavia models.
July 12, 2007
Ford Fiesta may have a MPV variant

According to the British weekly car magazine Auto Express, Ford is currently working on a small MPV based on the B platform. The B platform already used by the new Mazda Demio will also be used for the next generation Fiesta.
Despite ambivalent sales from competitors on the small MPV segment, Ford thinks it could surf on the success met by the S-Max. Ford struggles to satisfy the demand for the latter.
Renault Modus’ failure should serve as a lesson for Ford: the MPV will have to be roomy enough to justify the higher price. As the next Fiesta will be probably 154” long, the B-Max will have to be longer. But Ford has to be careful. Too long, and the future B-Max could threaten the C-Max. Ford must also be careful not to design merely a reduced version of the S-Max. Though the S-Max may have enough sex appeal today, the situation will be different in two years.
Bearing all this in mind, the B-Max appears to be a difficult exercise for Ford. Perhaps it would be better not to build a small MPV after all.
July 12, 2007
Roewe 450 at the next Frankfurt motor show?

According to insiders, SAIC may unveil the Roewe W2/450 at the next Frankfurt motor show. What better way for the Chinese carmaker to prove how much importance they attach to the European market? The car was originally expected to be launched at the Shanghai motor show in 2008. (so is it frankfurt or shanghai? bit confused…)
Revealing the car at Frankfurt will surely be symbolic for the Chinese automotive industry. Until now, the Chinese cars displayed at other European motor shows have not met with a favourable reception from European customers. They instead been met with amusement. With the Roewe W2/450, the reaction could be fear and stress as the first information looks promising.
The compact saloon will be dubbed 450, since the upper model is called 750 and the lower model 250. It will be available with a choice of a 1.6-litre petrol, a 1.8-litre petrol or a turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol. According to insiders the power will range from 80 bhp to 120 bhp. Expect more power for the turbocharged 1.8-litre engine. A V6 version could also be a good choice on European markets in order to build a brand image. Of course, it means that Roewe can install the KV6 engine in the W2/450 model.
July 12, 2007
A baby Land in the pipeline
In a world where SUVs are not particularly welcome and where regulations are more and more constraining, Land Rover’s future is threatened despite the Britishness that protects it from having the bad image suffered by American gas guzzlers. Land Rover must change and its CEO, Geoff Polites, is well aware of the situation. It is widely known that the British carmaker is actively working on a hybrid version of the future Range Rover. Unfortunately this alone will not be enough and Solihull is considering a baby Land Rover, smaller than the Freelander II.
Indeed, despite being Land Rover’s smallest vehicle, the Freelander II still produces 194 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer in its least polluting version. This is almost twice the average level stipulated by the European automaker regulations, due to come into force in 2012.
As of now, Land Rover has still not made any formal decision regarding the baby Land. Geoff Polites told the Financial Times that such a car will be produced if people are ready to buy it. Considering the hype of the Range Rover Sport among wealthy people, asking them to replace it by a small SUV/crossover is likely to prove a real challenge.
July 12, 2007
Fiat 500 Abarth at the Tokyo motor show

Luca de Meo, Fiat Brand CEO, revealed last week at the international launch of the new Fiat 500 that the Italian carmaker will unveil an Abarth variant at the next Tokyo motor show. Unfortunately he did not give more details concerning the engine.
The Punto Abarth has a turbocharged 1.4 litre that produces 120 hp and 150 hp. It is likely that the 500 Abarth will inherit the same engine but the power is still unknown. Certain documents which were leaked during the press conference mentioned 135 hp. Insiders have also hinted at power as high as 200 hp.
July 11, 2007