Author: yoann besnard

Foreign carmakers to compete on upper market segments in India
Despite a slowdown and a growing inflation rate in India, car makers are planning to move their lineup upmarket in an attempt to build their brand image in the future and to meet demand for larger models from Indian customers.
Honda will soon launch our outgoing Accord saloon which will be lightly upgraded when reaching the Indian shores. Price remains unknown, but Honda will keep a price tag similar to European prices. Toyota will introduce the current Corolla in an attempt to take on the established Honda Civic which dominates sales compact segment there. Hyundai will also join the fight as the Korean carmaker will launch the i30 to replace the poor selling Elantra. Hyundai will also bring the Santa Fe to India. The 2.2-litre common rail diesel model will be launched later in the year. On the SUV segment, Mitsubishi will launch the Outlander.
European carmakers have also plans to bring bigger models. Along with the Passat and Touareg, Volkswagen hopes to increase its Indian sales by selling the Jetta.
April 26, 2008
BMW to sell the 400bhp 555i next year
BMW has announced that it will start selling a 5-Series version powered by the 4.4-litre V8 that appeared in the X6 SUV coupé.
At this moment, the top of the 5-Series range is powered by a 367bhp 4.8-litre V8, if we forget the specific M5. With the new engine, the topping version will become 555i. The engine is an all-new twin-turbo V8 petrol unit. This is the second company’s engine to come with twin-turbocharger architecture. A 4.4-litre unit, it pumps out a power of 407bhp and a torque of 443lb ft between 1750rpm and 4500rpm.
With this new V8, BMW will make it a bit harder for less premium brands like Volvo or Saab to match the company’s offer. Rumoured to offer 350bhp, the next 9-5 would have been able to take on the current 550i. With the new engine, BMW keep leading the market segment.
April 26, 2008
Nissan’s CVT Equipped Car Sales Top 1 Million in 2007
Nissan announced that it global sales of its CVT equipped vehicles topped one million with sales during 2007.
The Japanese carmaker has accomplished its 2010 target of selling of 1 million vehicles equipped with a CVT gearbox per year. The target was part of the Nissan Green Program 2010 environmental plan announced in 2006. Currently, CVT represents approximately 28.6% of global sales, compared to 7% in 2004. CVT penetration varies across the regions, with the highest rate in North America and Japan at 47.4% and 43.8% respectively.
The first CVT was introduced in March 1992, and Nissan has continued to integrate it on several models. In 2002, Nissan engineers found a solution to adapt CVT to high-torque engines and delivered the world’s first CVT for large displacement engines up to 3.5 litres.
April 26, 2008
Ford to hire 1,500 workers in Russia
Ford has announced that it will hire 1,500 people at its Russian factory to increase its production Bentley 75 per cent to reach 125,000 vehicles.
Located outside of St. Petersburg, the factory produces the Ford Focus hatchback, the best-selling foreign-brand car in Russia. The new production capacity will be used to build the Ford Mondeo.
Ford was the first foreign carmaker to open its own assembly plant in Russia, which began production in July 2002. It is the only Ford plant that builds the Focus in all four body styles: 3-door, 4-door, 5-door and wagon versions. The plant employs 2,700 workers.
In 2007, Ford of Europe sold 1.92 million vehicles, a 72,000 unit increase over the previous year.
April 26, 2008
Lexus LF-A to participate in Nurburgring 24 hour race
The Lexus LF-A concept car will participate in the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race on 24–25 May 2008 as part of ongoing development.
The LF-A is not a dedicated race car and Toyota has no plans to make technical changes. The eagerly-awaited supercar will only be equipped with the safety equipment (roll cage, fuel tank, etc.) necessary to meet racing regulations. A team of experienced Japanese drivers will have the aim of providing feedback to the Lexus development team rather than achieving a race result.
The LF-A is powered by a V10 petrol engine which delivers more than 500bhp. The supercar can reach a top speed of 200 mph.
April 26, 2008
Rolls-Royce names a new CEO
Rolls-Royce has announced that Tom Purves will join the company as its new CEO leaving its position of Chairman and CEO of BMW US.
This is a come back for Tom Purves as the newly appointed CEO started his career as an apprentice engineer at Crewe in 1967. His role with the company evolved to include several management positions in various fields including sales in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Purves joined BMW as sales director in 1985 in Great Britain and was appointed Managing Director in 1989. During his tenure, the company became the second largest BMW export market after the USA. In 1996 he became a Rover Board member, where he oversaw the global sales and marketing of Land Rover, MINI, MG and Rover before his move to North America in 1999. Purves was responsible for the successful launch of Mini in North America.
“It has been a pleasure to see Rolls-Royce flourish under the ownership of BMW Group,” Purves commented. “I am delighted to be taking the helm at Goodwood as the company continues to develop with the upcoming launch of the Phantom Coupé and, most significantly, the introduction of RR4 in 2010. I have always felt a special connection with Rolls-Royce, having started my career in the car division.”
As planned, Ian Robertson will join the BMW AG Board of Management but remains Chairman of Rolls-Royce.
April 26, 2008
Volkswagen rules out Mexico and Canada for its future factory
According to company sources, the German carmaker has ruled out Mexico and Canada as location for the future factory.
Volkswagen sales suffer from the strong Euro and can’t compete with the Japanese models built and sold in the US. The only solution the carmaker found is to build there its models destined for the US market. a new milestone has been passed as a company official has revealed that Volkswagen has ruled out Canada and Mexico as a possible location. The US is the elected country, and Georgia and South Carolina are the favourite to get the future factory.
Volkswagen wants the factory to be ready by 2011 and has decided to speed up the decision process to meet the deadline. In addition to this new production line, the German carmaker will also build another plant to produce engine and transmissions.
April 26, 2008
Th!nk wants to conquer the US
Th!nk has announced it will launch its City model on the American market next year with the long-term target to sell between 30,000 and 50,000 vehicles per year.
The American marker seems to be finally ready to welcome small cars at a time when a gallon of gas hits the $3.50 mark. The Norwegian is determined to hold a share of the future market segment. Backed by American investors, the company will start selling its unique model, the City from next year. Final specifications still need to be decided but the company’s CEO Jan Olaf Willums has revealed in an interview with Automotive News that the City is expected to cost between $15,000 and $17,000. As British consumers, we have the right to be upset when the same car is expected to be sold at around £15,000 in the UK.
With such a competitive price compared to the UK, Th!nk hopes to sell between 30,000 and 50,000 units per year. If the $17,000 price tag looks appealing for US, the situation is different in the US. A Chevrolet Malibu able to sit five passengers starts at $20,295. General Electric has invested £2 million in Th!nk, and Rockport and Kleiner Perkins have joined the list of investors.
April 25, 2008
Volkswagen’s designer talks about the Scirocco
The German carmaker has released video showing the Scirocco’s head designer March Lichte trying to convince us that the latest German coupé is as sexy as a German sausage.

April 25, 2008
Subaru gets worried about its future
The new coupé developed for Toyota and also sold under the Subaru badge cause concerns for the future of the Japanese carmaker.
The new coupé currently in development might become a marketing nightmare for the tiny carmaker. Until now, Subaru differentiates itself by featuring unique technologies on its models such as all-wheel drive transmission and boxer engines. Subaru Australia even promotes the all-wheel drive architecture in its slogan. How to justify the difference for the future coupé when it will also be sold by Toyota?
Company executives are aware of the problem. In an interview with Automotive News, Fuji Heavy Industries overseas sales chief, Mat Nagato, said "We may lose our long standing territory, or we may lose the great niche brand image. The potential risk is there. We have to be very smart on marketing strategy."
The coupé might become the beginning of the end for the Japanese carmaker.
April 25, 2008