Author: yoann besnard

BMW unveils M1 Homage
BMW took the wraps off the M1 Homage at the first public day of the classic car show “Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este”.
The M1 Homage commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of the M1 supercar which was produced by the German carmaker from 1978 to 1981. It isn’t confirmed whether this show car previews a future model or not. However, BMW has sees the supercar market as a opportunity to catch and it is rumoured that the carmaker is currently working on a new supercar.
With the success met by the Audi R8 and the future Mercedes SLC, BMW is certainly tempted to add a supercar to its lineup.
April 29, 2008
Mazda unveils the American Mazda 6
Initially launched in Japan and in Europe, the new Mazda 6 was unveiled in the US. Generally, a launch in a new country doesn’t require to mention it, but the American Mazda 6 is different from the European and Japanese versions.
First, the American Mazda 6 is only available as a saloon. The outgoing model was also available with the five-door and estate variants, but poor sales condemn them to disappear. Secondly, the Americanised Mazda was redesigned at the rear end. The boot lid is now longer and real lights are bigger than the European/Japanese version. At the front end, the bumpers are lightly modified.
Under the bonnet, the 6 will start with the 2.5-litre unit which is the topping engine in Japan and in Europe. It can be hooked up to a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearboxes. The most powerful engine will be the 3.7-litre V6 petrol unit from the CX-9. Only associated with a six-speed automatic gearbox, it delivers 269bhp.
Like the outgoing model, the new Mazda 6 will be built at FlatRock in Michigan.
April 29, 2008
Future baby Rolls-Royce
The baby Rolls has been spotted during testing and reveals a bit more about the future luxury model.
Due to be unveiled next year, the future entry-level Rolls Royce is currently in development. Despite initial beliefs, the future model won’t share its inner structure with the next-generation long-wheelbase 7-Series, but will offer similar dimensions. Except the engine which will be a BMW unit like the Phantom, electronic architecture and components will be shared with the future BMW’s flagship.
The spotted model gives some clues about the direction taken by designers. The baby Rolls will be a small Phantom, featuring the corporate’s long nose and and short rear bootlid. Like the Phantom, the small Rolls Royce will come with narrow suicide rear doors and wide C-pillar to protect passengers’ intimacy.
The future Rolls Royce is expected to cost between £125,000 and £150,000.
April 29, 2008
5.0-litre engine to replace current AMG V8 and V12
Like Audi which decided to drop the V8 engine on the S4, AMG has to redesign its engine range to comply with the future regulations. The carmaker plans to replace its 6.2-litre V8 and
5.5-litre V12 by an all-new turbocharged 5.0-litre V8.
The new engine is reported to be equipped with two turbocharges and to be available in two versions. An entry version, which will replace the 6.2-litre V8, will deliver a power output of 570bhp and a torque of 665 lb ft, while the 5.5-litre V12 successor will deliver a power output of 700bhp and a torque output of 885 lb ft. If AMG plans to downsize its engines, the brand has no plans to stop raising power.
AMG has also plans to develop a hybrid-powered version expected to be called ‘BluePower’. The new 5.0-litre engine will be hooked up to a new electrically operated gearbox which will enable faster and more efficient gearshifts than a conventional automatic gearbox.
April 29, 2008
Audi plans to sell 1200 vehicles in India this year
The German carmaker’s war has found a new battlefield in India. After BMW which announced its plan to become the first premium bran din India, Audi has announced it will increase its efforts there to keep up with BMW and Mercedes Benz.
The German carmaker has announced it plans to sell 1,200 vehicles on the Indian market this year. "We are expecting to sell 1,200 of our cars in the Indian market in 2008 compared to 350 cars sold last year on the back of growing demand for luxury cars in the market," said Audi India managing director Benoit Tiers.
"The sale of total luxury cars in India during first two months of this year posted 176 per cent growth, while the car industry as a whole posted just 9 per cent growth, which shows the demand for luxury cars is growing at a tremendous pace," he said, adding "soon India will be among five major car markets for the company."
The carmaker will soon start building the A4 at its plant located in Aurangabad with the plan to sell the saloon on the Indian market from July of this year. Along with the A4, Audi is also considering selling the new Q5 there. At present, Audi assembles A6 variant at its plant and has so far invested €20 million/ £16 million. An additional €10 million/£8 million will be invested for the A4 production.
April 29, 2008
Spyshots: Renault Laguna Coupe & Megane 5 Doors
Two future Renault models have been spotted during testing in Australia: Laguna Coupé and Mégane.
The Laguna coupé is expected to be launched at the Paris Motor Show. The coupé will be derived from the eponymous saloon, but Renault will try to be a bit more upmarket by adopting some visual glitches generally found on a coupé. Compared to the concept car seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, the production version will look like less appealing, but Renault hpes its engine renage will make the difference, especially the diesel engines. The carmaker is currently developing a new V6 diesel engine range which is expected to deliver 230bhp and 265bhp. The Renault Laguna coupé will be the first model to be equipped by the two powerful units.
Along with the Laguna Coupé, the Megane has also been shot. As seen on the previous spyshots, Renault has decided to offer a more subtle design and will drop the peculiar current model’s rear end. Despite featuring a heavy camouflage, the next-generation Megane’s side view seems to be similar to that of the Fiat Bravo.
April 29, 2008
MX-5 to get a facelift at Paris
Mazda has unveiled to its dealer network a facelifted MX-5 due to be launched at the Paris Motor Show.
The revamped MX-5 will adopt the new corporate front fascia by getting some visual details taken from the Mazda 6. It will get new headlights and rear lights. Mazda will also increase the power of its best seller.
Mazda might also take the opportunity of a facelift to launch a more powerful MX-5. According to company sources, the company’s engineers are currently working on a MX-5 powered by the same turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol unit as the Mazda 3 MPS. With a power of 256bhp, the MX-5 would become a potential alternative to the Lotus Elise.
Mazda designers are already working on the next-gneration MX-5. General Manager of Mazda’s Design Division Laurens van der Acker has revealed in an interview that the next MX-5 will be unveiled in 2011.
April 29, 2008
BMW wants to be the first premium brand in India
After China, BMW has decided to focus on increasing its sales in India to become the market leader in the premium car segment.
Compared to China, the premium car segment is a tiny market where only 4,400 cars were sold last year. BMW sold 1,387 vehicles last year and plans to sell 2,000 units this year. With estimated sales of 10,000 units in 2010, BMW aims at becoming the leader by increasing its investments there.
BMW is currently assembling its models at its Indian factory located in Chennai, but until recently, the company was importing kits in completely knock down (CKD) condition. Now, 10 per cent of the components are sourced from India and BMW wants to increase the share of Indian components. BMW India President Peter Kronschnabi said that the company was screening the Indian auto components industry for its plans to make the country a major source for outsourcing for the German carmaker.
April 29, 2008
Next S4 to get a V6 engine
The next-generation S4 will ditch its normally aspirated V8 for a supercharged V6 in an attempt to reduce the car’s fuel consumption and CO2 emission.
The future stricter CO2 emission regulations made another victim among the V8 engines. Audi has decided to replace the V8 petrol units, which shuttles the S4 model, by a supercharged and turbocharged V6 unit. The future V6 engine is reported to deliver a power output similar to that of the V8. As the new A4 s 100 lbs lighter than the outgoing model, the future S4 will likely be sportier with the help of a supercharger and a turbocharger. Unfortunately, nothing will replace the V8’s exhaust music.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Indeed, Audi had announced its commitment to downsize its engine range in order to keep up with stricter regulations. However, this is the first time that a sporty model will get a smaller engine. Race to power is ending.
April 29, 2008
PSA Peugeot Citroen to develop a 1.0-litre petrol engine
PSA Peugeot Citroën will launch a new 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol engine by 2011. Power output will be between 70bhp and 100bhp.
The French group is currently developing a new petrol engine will bring very significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions according to the company. The carmaker wants to bring to market vehicles with CO2 emissions below 100g/km without additional technology like a hybrid solution.
The new engine will be built in two factories, one in France, the other in Eastern Europe. The first facility, with an annual capacity of 600,000 engines, will be operational as of 2011. It will be located in France at Trémery and will enable the creation of over 500 jobs. A second facility will be established in Eastern Europe by 2012. In order to find the best location for this additional engine-making plant, the company has begun looking at several countries in this region. The choice will be made in mid-2008.
April 29, 2008