Author: yoann besnard

Hyundai Coupe limited edition TSIII
While the American market has the new Genesis coupé, nothing has been decided yet for Europe and we’re forced to be patient with Hyundai which unveils a limited edition, called TSIII, of the current model.
Priced at £19,595, this limited edition comes with unique accessories which won’t make the ageing coupé be more appealing. It is available with a choice of four colours, Stone Black, Rose Red, Crystal White or Carbon Grey. Crystal White and Rose Red are exclusive to this edition. It also features 17” alloy wheels with a special anthracite finish. At the rear, there are four exhaust pipes but don’t be fooled, it’s still the peaceful 141bhp 2.0-litre petrol unit under the bonnet.
On the inside, this unique coupé features leather sports seats, metal trimmed pedals, Air conditioning with climate control, heated front seats and cruise control.
The TSIII is £1,575 more expensive than the basic model. There are many better ways to spend this amount than on this special edition.
April 8, 2008
Spyshots: VW Lavida
The VW Lavida was surprised during testing by Chinese spy photographers. The future saloon will be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show.
The Lavida is expected to be sold as an upmarket model which might feature equipment seen on more expensive models. It is rumoured to use the Bora’s underpinnings, but with a final increased length of 100mm. The Lavida will be powered by 1.88-litre and 2.0-litre petrol engines.
With this new model, Volkswagen will try to take on the successful Buick Excelle which will be also facelifted at the Beijing Motor Show.
Source Chinacartimes
April 8, 2008
Spyshots: A V12-powered Range Rover?
This is probably pure speculation but according to spy photographers Land Rover is working on a V12-powered Range Rover.
The spotted Range Rover features a new front bumper with larger air intakes and four exhaust pipes. Both details suggest a bigger engine is under development at Land Rover, but a V12 is highly speculative. The next-generation is rumoured to move upmarket in an attempt to become the Bentley of SUVs. Rumours talk about a price tag up to £100,000.
A V12 engine would likely help to justify the hefty price. However such a big engine would also jeopardise the company’s CO2 fleet average.
Click here to see the pictures
April 8, 2008
Nissan GT-R Debuts In UK: 700 Units Sold In Just 48 Hours
The Nissan GT-R frenzy continues as nearly 700 customer deposits were received for pre-order reservations in the first 48 hours after the order book was opened for business.
Nissan UK has created a waiting list as there is a limited number of GT-R sent ot the UK next year. First customer deliveries are expected in March
Paul Willcox, Managing Director Nissan Motor Limited said that “the dealer order line lit-up on the 2 April with an unprecedented amount of orders being placed.” He also added that “waiting lists are not unusual to have for a vehicle of such high performance, specification and value but there is a limit that people will be prepared to wait. In order to meet demand we are now starting to negotiate vigorously with Nissan Europe to secure further volume from our production facility in Tochigi Japan.”
GT-R UK lineup and prices here
April 8, 2008
Brilliance BS4 Wagon: first official pictures?
Pictures of the expected BS4 estate have emerged on the Internet although there is some doubt whether they are official or not.
Like other Chinese carmakers, Brilliance wants to get media attention during the Beijing Motor Show. In addition to the BC3 coupé and the BS2 compact models, the company will unveil the BS4 estate. However the pictured BS4 looks rather odd. A closer look at the alloy wheels reveals something unusual, a like if an unskilled graphics designer had used Photoshop. There is also only one roof-bar on the left and the Italian registration plate is a fake.
The BS4 estate is expected to be available with two petrol engines, a turbocharged 1.8-litre and a 2.0-litre outsourced from Mitsubishi. The equipment will feature ANS, EBD, folding 60/40 rear bench. The boot capacity is estimated to reach 1,700 litres.
April 8, 2008
Teana leaked brochures
Last week, Petrol-Head reported some spyshots and an official teaser of the new-generation Nissan Teana. This week, leaked sales brochures are on the menu.
Due to be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show, the big Nissan saloon will be more an evolution than a revolution of the current model.
April 8, 2008
Maybach Landaulet is yours for £675,000
Mercedes has announced the price of the Maybach Landaulet for the American market: £675,000/$1.35 million.
Launched at the Dubai Motor Show, the Maybach Landaulet will hit the American showrooms in next December. The Landaulet has been designed as a chauffeur-driven limousine with a soft partial convertible top above rear-seat passengers.
"The Landaulet is for a superrich individual who wants something that is extremely extraordinary and enjoys being driven in a car with acres of sky above them," Hans-Dieter Multhaupt, vice president of program management for Maybach said. Multhaupt also said that many of the Maybach Landaulets "will be fitted with a glass panel that separates the driver and the passenger, like the cars of the past."
April 8, 2008
London Mayor plans 20mph speed limit if re-elected
Ken Livingstone has announced he will try to reduce speed limits in London to just 20mph if he’s re-elected to a third term office.
London Mayor made a step further towards car annihilation in London by announcing he would lobby for a speed reduction to just 20mph in London if he’s re-elected. He justified his decision by stating that 90% of of pedestrians die if hit at 40mph while just 2.5% die if hit at 20mph. Why doesn’t he push the logic to reduce speed limit to less than 10 miles to ensure nobody will die because there is no much difference between 10 and 20mph.
However by limiting the speed to 20mph, the mayor might also generate more pollution. Indeed cars’ pollution is optimal between 40 and 70mph. At 20mph, cars would pollute more. Perhaps another excuse for Livinsgtone to increase the Congestion Charge?
April 8, 2008
Is GM working on a cheap Chevrolet Spark?
According to rumours, GM is currently working on a low budget Chevrolet Spark, set to compete with the future Nano, which would cost £1,400 and would be built in China.
If the rumour is true, GM would be the third carmaker after Tata, Hyundai and Renault to jump into the very low budget market segment. However, the path seems to be fraught with pitfalls. The Chevrolet Spark is currently sold at around £2,900 in China and GM has asked its engineers to divide the price tag by two. Cutting production cost would be the major way of achieving the target.
Ten years ago, carmaker had rushed into the new Chinese and Indian markets, but first sales results were rather disappointing due to lower income than expected. Ten days later, both countries are richer and carmakers made progress in developing low cost cars. The question is not when will they drive, but what will they drive?
April 8, 2008
Nissan unveils the Livina C-Gear
Nissan has unveiled the new Livina C-Gear which will reinforce the carmaker’s lineup in China, its third largest market.
In addition to the new Teana saloon, Nissan will unveil the Livina C-Gear at the Beijing Motor Show. As predicted the new model is based on the Livina. A five-seater is sportier than the normal Livina and comes with large plastic wheelarches and a new front bumper. On the inside, the C-Gear features a black interior with silver panels. the boot has a capacity up to 383 litres.
The Livina C-Gear is powered by a 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine which can be hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Produced locally at Huadu plant in Guangdong province, the Livina C-gear will be also sold in South-East Asia under the X-Gear name. In addition to the normal Livina and Livina C-Gear, Nissan will introduce a third variant later in Indonesia.
April 7, 2008