Author: yoann besnard

Ford builds 9 millionth Mustang
Ford announced today it has built its 9 millionth Mustang, a GT Convertible Mustang which will be delivered to a dealership in Iowa.
The Mustang is the carmaker’s longest-running nameplate. Mustang was introduced on April 17, 1964, at the New York World’s Fair. The current generation has recorded a huge success representing one of every two sports cars sold in the US. Mustang sales hit an astounding 419,000 in its first 12 months on the market, and topped the 1-million mark in the first two years, shattering the sales records of any single model in the history of the cars.
The Ford Mustang will likely keep the lead despite the launch of the Dodge Challenger and the arrival next year of the Chevrolet Camaro. The next generation is expected to be unveiled in 2011. It will be based on the new global rear-wheel drive platform currently in development in Australia.
April 29, 2008
Pininfarina to open design centre in India
Pininfarina has announced it will open a design centre in India.
Due to be located in Pune, northwestern India, Pininfarina will offer services to all automakers, the company said. However, with minority participation by Indian automotive giant Tata, it isn’t sure that other carmakers will be happy to share future projects with Tata.
"This agreement witnesses the great attention Pininfarina is dedicating to an emerging and highly developing market such as the Indian one," said the group’s CEO Andrea Pininfarina.
Pininfarina announced last month that it would increase its capital by €100 million/£80 million. Ratan Tata has expressed interest in the Tata Companies participating Pininfarina’s planned capital increase with the subscription of a portion of the options that will be assigned to the Pininfarina family.
April 29, 2008
Skoda produces two millionth Fabia
The two millionth Skoda Fabia has just rolled off the production line, eight years after the first generation was launched.
The record-breaking vehicle was a ‘Satin Grey’ Fabia Estate 1.4-litre 16-valve. Skoda Fabia has met a strong demand on European markets thanks to a competitive price and good overall performance. Nearly 1.8 million first generation model were sold before the new version was introduced in early 2007.
The current generation confirms Skoda success on the small car market segment. The company has already sold 63,579 units this year.
April 29, 2008
Ferrari to open its first store in the UK
Ferrari has announced it will open its first British store in London this autumn.
The first British Ferrari Store will be located on Regent Street. Its 550 square metres spread over two levels will stock the entire range of the company’s products aimed at Formula 1 fans, GT enthusiasts, children and collectors.
The Italian marque has currently 20 outlets in the Ferrari retail chain, half of which are outside of Italy in China, the United States, United Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Macao and Singapore.
April 29, 2008
Porsche taking issue with Audi’s use of RS nameplate
Porsche takes issue with Audi over the use of the RS moniker on its sporty models.
When a major shareholder of a parent company takes issue with a subsidiary while competing on the same market, that looks like a bit of a mess. Porsche has decided to prevent Audi from using the RS label on the future sporty TT. Called TT RS, the coupé would sound like the Boxster RS 60 Spyder. Porsche thinks that it should be the only carmaker to use the RS a suffix.
Audi can use the RS moniker as a prefix, as in RS4, RS5 or RS6, but not as a suffix on the TT RS. So, one does expect the sporty TT to be dubbed RS TT or simply TTS.
April 29, 2008
Audi reveals the A3 facelift
The premium compact models from Audi gets a facelift that will hit the showrooms this summer.
Since its introduction in 1996, the Audi A3 was a huge contributor to the carmaker’s global sales as Audi built 1.9 million units of them. The facelift will enable the model to continue that success thanks to a raft of new technologies such as the Audi magnetic ride.
On the outside, visual changes concern the front lid and fenders, the bumper and the large single-frame radiator grille. The headlights are also lightly redesigned. At the rear end, the modified bumper and the lights have been modified. As a result of the design modifications, the A3 has grown by 25mm in length to 4240mm, while the Sportback remain virtually unchanged at 4290mm in length. On the inside, the designers added Aluminium-look elements on the air vents, light switches and central console. The instruments have black dials and red needles. The leather sport steering wheel for the Ambition line has new aluminium trim clips, and Audi can supply a flat-bottomed leather sport steering wheel for the Ambition as an option. New inlays, new colours and a new selection of upholstery are available on the Attraction and Ambition.
With this facelift, Audi took the opportunity to redesign the 2.0-litre diesel engines which adopts common rail injection system. The 113bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine is replaced by the smaller but more powerful turbocharged 125bhp 1.4-litre TFSI unit. The entry level starts with the 102bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine. Above the 1.4-litre unit, there is the 158bhp 1.8-litre engine, followed by the 197bhp 2.0-litre TFSI, while the topping engine is the unchanged 250bhp 3.2-litre six cylinder petrol unit. Along with the petrol units, there are three diesel engines: the 1.9-litre TDI delivers 105bhp and the 2.0 TDI 138bhp or 168bhp.
Audi also upgrades the transmission package by offering as an option the new seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox on the 1.6, the 1.4 TFSI and the 1.8 TFSI powered versions.
The Magnetic ride suspensions that appeared with the Audi TT is now available on the A3. This system overcomes the age-old conflict between dynamic behaviour and ride comfort. The driver can choose between "Normal" and "Sport" programs by flipping a switch. A magneto-rheological fluid circulating in the shock absorbers changes its flow properties within milliseconds when a voltage is applied; this affects the damping characteristic, which can be varied from comfortably supple to crisply firm. Audi can supply the electronic damping control system as an option for the gasoline versions from the 1.8-litre version upwards, as well as for both 2.0-litre TDI versions.
The S3 is also now available as a Sportback version.
April 28, 2008
Peugeot announces production of the RC Z
Peugeot has announced it will put the RC Z into production. This news doesn’t come as a surprise as Petrol-Head announced it in December.
The final production model will be unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, two years after the concept car was first presented to the public and will then go on sale in the spring of 2010. The production version should be as close as possible to the concept car. One does hope the carmaker will keep the unique roof.
At this early stage, information remains scarce. The RC Z concept car was powered by a 175bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine taken from the 207 RC. It shared its underpinnings with the Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4. The RC Z is rumoured to be built by Magna at its Graz factory, located in Austria.
April 28, 2008
Spyhots: Saab 9-4X
Here are spyshots of a the Saab 9-4X expected to be launched in 2010.
Unveiled as a concept car at the Detroit Motor Show, the 9-4X will be the last premium SUV to be launched on the compact SUV market segment where there is a fierce struggle for a pie’s share. The future 9-4X will share its inner structure with the Cadillac BRX, but will likely get its own powertrains such as a rumoured 250bhp diesel engine. It will also come with the in-house all-wheel drive system called XWD.
The 9-4X won’t be built in Sweden, but in Mexico as part of the plan to reduce production cost and share technology between GM brands. It is expected to start at £24,000.

Click here to see the pictures
April 28, 2008
Volkswagen “Park Assist Vision” video
Here is a video of the astonishing “Park Assist Vision” that Volkswagen unveiled at Hanover.
The system uses two cameras located in the left and right exterior mirrors which are responsible for gauging the dimensions of the parking space. The video signals are transmitted to a 2-GHz high-performance computer which then analyses them and sends commands to the steering and drive systems. If the driver has himself initiated the parking manoeuvre, the “Park Assist Vision” will reverse the vehicle into the parking space in accordance with the previously computed course and using electromechanical power steering, the electronic parking brake, DSG and the engine power produced by the idling mixture. Two additional cameras at the front and rear of the vehicle as well as the system’s ultrasound sensors monitor the operation and will stop the vehicle if necessary. The driver may also interrupt the manoeuvre at any time using the remote control.

April 28, 2008
London cab to go all electric next year
London black cab maker Manganese Bronze has announced that it will release the TX4E, all-electric version of Manganese Bronze’s TX4 black cab.
If London mayor, Ken Livingstone, is happy to charge polluting Chelsea tractors, he never complained about the pollution generated by London taxis despite being among the most polluting vehicles around London. That will change next year when Manganese Bronze releases the TX4E.
The british manufacturer will develop the TX4E with The Tanfield Group, a leading manufacturer of commercial electric vehicles. It will have a top speed of 50mph and a range in excess of 100 miles on one battery charge. It will be specifically designed for taxi operations in congested urban areas.
The TX4E will contain all the conventional features of the TX4, but will be powered by Tanfield’s advanced electric drive train and Iron Phosphate lithium-ion battery pack. Based on current electricity prices, it is estimated the TX4E will cost less than 4p per mile to run, therefore providing significant whole life cost savings over an equivalent diesel vehicle.
The initial cost of the TX4E is however likely to be higher than the diesel powered TX4.
April 28, 2008