Author: yoann besnard

Toyota to boost Lexus production
Toyota plans to increase production capacity for its luxury brand Lexus to meet a strong demand in emerging countries.
The Japanese built 518,000 Lexus last year and is expected to boost its production to 850,000 by 2009, a 35% increase in two years. The luxury brand is meting a string demand from countries such as China and Russia.
By flooding the new markets with more vehicles and new models, the company wants to counter-attack the European offensive. Audi and BMW are getting serious at conquering China, Russia and India. Mercedes should soon declare its commitment to the new markets now it got rid off Chrysler.
Will the new markets accept the brand as the US did twenty years ago? Nothing is certain. Toyota launched the Lexus brand in Japan in 2005 and still underperforms there while the company struggles to establish itself as a competitor in Europe. From China, a European brand has certainly more appeal than a luxury brand form Japan.
February 29, 2008
Audi unveils the diesel-powered TT
Audi has unveiled the first TT to be powered by a diesel engine, the 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI. It wil be displayed at Geneva before going on sale in March for £26,350.
After the R8 V12 TDI unveiled at Detroit in last January, the German carmaker shows its commitment to diesel engines by launching its fist diesel-powered coupé. The elected engine is the 2.0-litre which has an output of 168bhp and a torque of 258 lb ft. The power goes to the wheel through the in-house four-wheel drive system, the famous Quattro. The coupé is only offered with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro coupé can run the 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 140mph. The roadster is a little bit slower with 7.7 seconds and 138mph. It might be hard to convince people to make the jump at first, but fuel efficiency becomes a major selling point. On this one, the Audi TT scores pretty well with a 53.3mpg combined consumption for the coupé and a 51.3mpg combined consumption for the roadster.
If you still hesitate at the idea of buying a diesel-powered coupé, the Audi TT 2.0-litre doesn’t sport any TDI moniker.
February 29, 2008
Brits to choose 4×4 over more fuel efficient cars in 2008
Direct Line Car Insurance has commissioned a survey that reveals that Britons are four times more likely to buy a less fuel efficient vehicle than the more environmentally friendly hybrid cars this year.
The survey also reveals that despite the new congestion charge scheme, 27% of polled Londoners are still planing on buying a car this year compared to just 20 per cent of those living in the Midlands and 21 per cent of Northerners.
The conventional brands are still favoured for future purchase despite a sales surge in retro models such as the Mini or the Fiat 500. The most popular brands are still Ford, Toyota and Vauxhall. Conservative choices also lead the way on colour with silver/grey topping the list, followed by blue and red.
February 29, 2008
Holden unveils the Coupe 60 at Melbourne
Our eyes are focused on the Geneva Motor Show, but another show has opened its doors, Melbourne Auto Show. The national brand, Holden has unveiled a coupé to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
The concept car features an aggressive look thanks to its enlarged wheel arches, huge 21in wheels, large air intakes at the front and an air diffuser at the rear end. The coupé is powered by a 6.0-litre unit whose power remains unknown. The engine comes with Active Fuel Management, calibrated for E85 Ethanol fuel and it’s hooked up to a 6-speed manual transmission.
On the inside, the Coupe 60 is roomy enough for four people in an ambiance that combines black leather, red stitching and carbon-fiber. The seats made of carbon-fiber comes with a mix of suede and leather upholstery. All seats feature four-point harness to hold passengers in it. However, the dashboard structure looks two step away from production. The Coupe 60 is a concept car that seems to be ready for production.
At this stage, Holden has no plan to put the Coupe 60 into production, but a return of the Monaro based on this Coupe 60 would be a great news.
February 29, 2008
Roewe to conquer Europe?
Chinese carmakers are used to changing their mind regularly. One day, the announce that they will conquer the world next year. The day after, they say that they won’t go overseas before 2012. SAIC doesn’t breach the rules of etiquette.
The carmaker has announced that the new Roewe 550 would be sold under the Roewe badge in Europe. But earlier, the had announced that the new model would be built in the UK and sold as the MG 5.
Which version to believe is a difficult exercice. However, the 550 is confirmed to be sold in Europe. The car looks rather appealing and might meet a certain success if sold at a good price. Powered by a former Rover 128bhp turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol unit, the 550 will feature a navigation system, six airbags, an ESP, a type pressure monitoring system and 17in alloy wheels. The car is rumoured to cost around £15,000.
February 29, 2008
Arien unveils the Atom 500
Ariel has announced a new version of its Atom model, the Ariel Atom 500. On the menu: 500kg, 500bhp, 100bhp per tonne.
The radical new Atom will be powered by a 500bhp V8 whose provider remains unknown. The engine will be equipped with a supercharger and will feature an alloy construction and a dry slump.
On the outside, the Atom 500 will come with two rear intakes for intercoolers a will feature waith an exclusive colour scheme.
To give you an idea of the sensation provided by a smaller Atom, the 300, look at the video below.
February 29, 2008
First official leaked picture of the scirocco
Two official pictures of the Scirocco have leaked on the Internet less than one week ahead of is official launch at the Geneva Motor Show. As predicted the final model is close to the Iroc concept car unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.
With this new model, Volkswagen will try to make a return on the coupé segment it had abandoned with the end of the Corrado coupé. While the Corrado was positioned as a unique model in the company’s lineup at that time, the new Scirocco will be positioned a Golf coupé.
If the overall shape is similar to the concept car’s, the front fascia has lost its glitzy showcar bits. Unfortunately, the changes make the Scirocco to look a bit tame. By removing the metal surround from the grill, designers removed a bit of character. The production version lost the sculpted lines that gave the Iroc a muscular stance. In a word, the Iroc concept car settled down to become the Scirocco. Nothing wrong as all carmakers do the same, but for a coupé, one would have hoped much more character.
February 29, 2008
Baby Alfa to be called Mito
The future small Alfa Romeo or Progetto955 came under the spotlights as two information were revealed: the baby Alfa night be christened Mito and will be unveiled to the dealer ship on March 18th.
Last year, the Italian marque had launched a poll in partnership with car magazines to choose the future name of the Progetto955. Among the list, ‘Furiosa’ came first, but Alfa didn’t find the elected name suitable for all languages. It appears that the company has chosen a two syllabus word: Mito. This short name combines both the cities of MI-lano and TO-rino together. It will be easy to remember or to confuse with a certain MIni at least.
While the car will officially unveiled in July, Alfa Romeo will show the final model to the dealer sheep in less than three weeks. The car will go on sale from September in Italy and in Europe after the Paris Motor Show.
The Alfa Mito will be available with a wide range of engines, a 95bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit, a Multiair 105bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox and a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit with either 135bhp or 165bhp. The topping petrol engine will be a 1.8-litre turbocharged which will have a power output of 230bhp. Along the petrol engines, Alfa will offer only one diesel engine, the 120bhp 1.6-litre unit.
The car is expected to cost £11,500 for the entry level model which is similar to the £11,625 required by the Mini One.
Source: Italiaspeed and Autoweek
February 29, 2008
Daimler to increase spending in R&D
Daimler plans to boost spending in R&D though the end of the decade to expand its lineup: more niche vehicles on the horizon.
The German carmaker has announced that it plans to invest £10 billion in R&D until 2010. The company wants to expand its current lineup but also plans substantial investment for new families of engines with low fuel consumption and emissions, as well as for the increased application of alternative drive systems. Last year the carmaker spent £3.1 billion on R&D.
Daimler has to invest a huge amount in R&D in order to comply with the future 2012 European CO2 emissions regulation. Due to be lower than 120g/km, the German carmaker is one of the worst European carmaker on the market as a result of its race to power it initiated more than ten years ago.
February 29, 2008
Honda CEO optimistic about the American market
In an interview with Automotive News, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui made comments regarding the American market that conflicted with Carlos Ghosn’s. While Nissan CEO talks about a recession, Takeo Fukui doesn’t foresee any downturn for this year.
Honda CEO confirmed that some states encountered a recession like California or Florida which dropped, but East Coast and Midwest markets generated good sales results for the company. Overall, Honda’s sales have dropped by 2.3% while the market recorded a 4.2% decrease. The company has no plan to offer incentives at this moment
"It is true that in states like Florida and California, the numbers are going down," Fukui told Automotive News. " But if you look at the U.S. as a whole, I don’t think we’re seeing a recession. There are still good business opportunities. There is firm demand for automobiles."
Honda suffers less from the SUV segment’s recession as the carmaker never offered V8-powered SUV like Toyota and Nissan did. Its smaller and economical models are appealing to people with rising gas prices.
February 29, 2008